After a week of false statements, lies, and dismissive apologies, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf now says that he is disatisfied with the probe into former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's death
I honestly don't know how either party's caucus results will play out tonight. Usually, you can get a good idea of perhaps not a winner but at least you can figure out who's up, who's down, and who's
While we stand in awe of the willingness of our troops in Iraq to sacrifice themselves for the Nation, the fewer that are required to do so, the better.  And the news on that front is good.  As can be
These pages recently said goodbye to global warming.  Ironically, the current spell of global warming, such as it is, can be expected to end just as the Kyoto treaty ends in 2012, but having nothing t
A US report shows how the enemy controlled the information on the battlefield in Fallujah and used this to force the US and Iraqi forces out, in the first battle there. The Belmont Club points out UPI
Mike Huckabee is pretty slick. He's the one Republican who's been boosted by the big media. Those media headlines got him off to a fast start. But a couple of days ago he got the press laughing at his
In the aftermath of the "upset" victories in yesterday's Iowa caucus by Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama, both the mainstream media and the political commentariat are in a lather ove
FrontPage.Com has an editorial up this morning pointing out the deficiencies of both of the Iowa winners last night; Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee:Last night, Iowa caucus-goers had the opportunity to
An influential policy outfit, the International Crisis Group, has called on President Musharraf to step down.Citing "A Way Forward in Pakistan," the ICG, which is made up of scholars and former diplom
Goodbye Iowa for 4 more years. But the Hawkeye State may have crowned the new President this time: Barack Obama. I believe he will be very hard to stop now, both for the nomination and the general ele
Based on the last week of coverage, culminating in hours of talk about the Iowa caucuses last night, one might think that much was decided in the contest.  Much was also made of the record turnout.  B
Historian Richard Brookhiser puts is succinctly at NRO's The Corner this morning:But a man who could not have used certain restrooms forty years ago is in the center ring, not as a freak in the manner
I am one of those Iowa caucus skeptics, regarding it as a media-driven show. But even I can see that the momentum generated last night for Obama extends beyond mere media event dimensions.Even worse,
*Over Guiliani, anyway.Actually Paul did quite well in the Iowa Caucuses last night. The 10% of voters who believe in Paul's pastiche of libertarian dogma and paleoconservative theology turned out and
First, if you haven't already done so, read American Thinker's Political Director Richard Baehr's piece "The Big Winners" which not only gives an outstanding analysis of last night's results but lays
The incomparable Noemie Emery reviews Sally Bedell Smith's book on the Clinton's in this week's Weekly Standard:With their rigor and discipline went a lack of intuition and nuance--the je ne sais quoi
Although we have been very critical of the New York Times over its journalistic and business failings, there have been interesting signs of change there lately. The paper announced that Bill Kristol w
In a unique format, ABC will host two debates tonight starting at 7:00 PM EDT with the Republicans taking the stage at St. Anselm College first followed immediately by the Democrats 90 minutes later:T
The latest Rasmussen tracking poll is out and it's a shocker. Barack Obama has taken a double digit lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire:PRESIDENT - NEW HAMPSHIRE - DEM PRIMARYObama 37%Hillary 2
Wow.Obama's finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don't even really inspire. They elevate. They enmesh you in a grander moment, as if history has stopped flowing passively by, and, j
The blogosphere lost one of its finest on Thursday when Major Andrew Olmsted was killed in action in Iraq.Olmsted was a great writer who blogged at several sites including his own. His writing was pen
We took a trip to the National Gallery of Art in the lull between Christmas and New Years to see the Edward Hopper exhibit which continues until January 21. If you are in or near Washington before it
In the midst of all the media gushing over Obama's Iowa upset Thursday night, allusions to Bobby Kennedy's 1968 "united country" campaign were bound to resurface. But a front page piece at HuffPo Frid
There is no more dangerous situation in the world today than what is happening in Pakistan. The incendiary combination of radical Islamists, unstable government, and nuclear weapons presents the great
Just as Edwards and Obama ganged up on Hillary Clinton in their debate on ABC last night, so too did GOP rivals of candidate Mitt Romney in their portion of the evening's proceedings.And they did it f
Last night's ABC debate among Democratic candidates featured a double barrelled attack on Hillary Clinton from Barack Obama and John Edwards:Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards went after Senator Hi
Dick Morris, former Clinton campaign guru, on some scenarios coming out of New Hampshire for the Democrats:Hillary cannot be knocked out even if she loses all the early primaries. Her berth in the fin
Neil MacFarquahar of the New York Times artfully navigates politically sensitive waters with an article on the problem of wife-beating among Muslims in the United States. The general question, simply
George Tenet has engaged counsel to represent him in the investigation of the destruction of the CIA's interrogation tapes of top Al Qaeda figures. According to Newsweek, he's engaged Howard M. Shapir
In today's article, Only McCain can beat Obama, Richard Baehr made a case for Senator McCain as the GOP nomination for the President of the United States in 2008, but this writer disagrees.The word fr
The prospect of a ringing defeat in New Hampshire has led to speculation that Hillary Clinton soon will fold up her tent and abandon the quest that has animated most of her adult life. I don't buy it.
You can judge a man (or a political movement) by his enemies. Tom Maguire notes an interesting thing about the left:Let me see if I understand this - John Edwards and the Krugman Democrats want to neg
Are these guys suicidal or what?A couple of Iranian patrol boats took off after three US naval warships and, according to the Pentagon, "harrased" the ships in the narrow Straits of Hormuz:In what U.S
I almost didn't want to blog about this today but it was the last debate before voting begins and some of you may have wondered why a premier political site like AT wasn't covering it. I'm talking abo
Drudge notes that there is talk about Hillary withdrawing altogether from the race for the Democratic nomination, indicating staffers are concerned about protecting the Clinton brand.But I suspect Jay
President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview broadcast last night on "60 Minutes" that Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was to blame for her own assassination:For standing up outside the car, I think
What do you do if you're Mitt Romney, a candidate who at one time led New Hampshire by double digits and suddenly find yourself trailing the day before the votes are cast?Spin, spin, spin like a Mayta
A candidate winning Iowa usually gets a "bump" in support that shows up in New Hampshire.This is more like an earthquake:Amid frenetic last-minute campaigning, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds the onetim
While certain segments of the American media and their readers/viewers have been obsessively following the public meltdown of some celebrity types over in France, the media have focused on President N
Rumors abound that the Hillary campaign is turning to veterans of Bill's 1990s campaigns James Carville amd Paul Begala for help. From the Time blog at Real Clear Politics:   NASHUA - In addition to t
Mark Levin at The Corner was "floored" when he read it this morning:Heading into South Carolina, where illegal immigration appears to be the biggest issue among Republicans, Huckabee is going to suppo
The 2006 National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy is out and our 18-24 year olds must have been asleep during geography class, judging by the results.People were shown a blank map of th
Despite the improvement of the security situation in Iraq, General Petreaus has continued to say that al-Qaeda remains a dangerous threat. In light of that, this news about a new joint US-Iraqi milita
Trying to position himself as a candidate that independents could rally around as an alternative to the two parties, New York billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg has seen his aspirations for the presi
The question of why Hillary Clinton's candidacy is in freefall at the moment was answered at a forum featuring her husband Bill at Dartmouth College:About thirty minutes into Bill Clinton's nearly two
Six months ago, last July 8, the New York Times published an editorial entitled "The Road Home"  and called for the U.S. to exit from Iraq and abandon a lost cause.  The first sentence read:It is time
If I hear the word change again from any candidate during this election cycle I will scream.  It seems that even the republican candidates have jumped upon this bandwagon.  By the media continually te
The New York Times today ran an editorial on the Voter ID issue, which holds that the Supreme Court should not serve the "electoral purposes of a political party" when it decides whether to uphold an
Some conservatives are prematurely celebrating the death of the Big Media. Well, the BM just won the first and biggest PR battle of the election campaign, Iowa and New Hampshire. John McCain is the ol
The pundits were writing Plastic Lady's epitaph,Pointing to lines going down on a graph.She had a bad finish out west a little ways;To socialist Utopians, it was the end of days.All the acting lessons
That's the first question President George Bush will ask PA President Mahmoud Abbas at their meeting on Thursday.Bush made the statement at a press conference yesterday in Israel. The President also r
The son of Benazir Bhutto, the designated heir to the leadership of the Pakistani People's Party, has slowly begun to raise his profile internationally while assuring supporters and party members that
Yesterday's big winner was ... American democracy.  Often, we forget the strength and vigor of our democracy.   Let's get some perspective.  Within the past month we have seen a former female leader o
I am truly disappointed. By now, I expected Ron Paul to be on his way to the White House, measuring curtains for the Lincoln bedroom.At least, that was the impression left by the army of Paulbots that
Following his big comeback win in New Hampshire, John McCain is headed to Michigan were he hopes to deal a  blow to the chances of Mitt Romney next Tuesday.The Romney name is revered in Michigan thank
Is it ever going to be possible to have an election in this country where some idiot lefty doesn't believe that voting machines were hacked and the results tampered with?Brad Friedman of Bradblog is a
There are a lot of people who are eating some crow this morning.*  Pollsters, pundits, even professional political operatives all got it wrong in the New Hampshire Democratic primary.Hillary Clinton n
Yet another media embarrassment, as the unstoppable wave of support for Obama turned out to be quite stoppable. Despite stories of hundreds of supporters bussed in from New York and Massachusetts to f
Our preoccupation with the current political scene caused many of us to overlook a tragic and noble event that took place in Iraq on January 7.According to the most detailed account, in [UK] Times Onl
Violence continues apace in Pakistan as al-Qaeda attempts to keep the pot boiling with its signature suicide bombers wreaking havoc with civilians and military alike.The latest attack occured in Lahor
As explained  by Ray Robison  on these pages, Coalition forces in Pakistan have been splitting Al Qaeda from local tribes, much as AQ has been isolated from its local support in Iraq, with tribal lead
Senator John Kerry will endorse Barack Obama sources close to the Senator have told numerous media outlets.No word on how John Edwards, Kerry's 2004 running mate is taking the news, but if I were his
It seems that Hillary Clinton Campaign's recently use of the racially charged term "spadework" on the Today Show in referring to Sen. Obama was not a one time event.   Back on July 24, 2007, the Clint
Michigan's January 15th Democratic primary is meaningless at the moment thanks to sanctions put in place by the Democratic National Committee that denies any delegates to the state because they violat
Philip Agee, former CIA case officer and traitor to America died yesterday in Havana. Agee outed dozens of CIA agents and covert operations in the 1970's, earning high praise from the left at the time
Continuing his 8 day tour of the Middle East, the President was in Ramallah today for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas.After thost discussions, the President said that he believes it is possible
Giving new meaning to ivory tower academic isolation without understanding reality or, more prosaically, if they're so smart with all their fancy degrees then why do they act so stupid - why are Colum
American Thinker has been documenting the strange campaign of Ron Paul for months. Most notably, Andrew Walden has delved into the Texas Congressman's acceptance of funds from neo-Nazis and other trou
Joseph Somsel broke the story of California's plan to eventually control the temperature set on thermostats of state residents on American Thinker a week ago. Since then, it has percolated through the
Dennis Kucinich, a candidate for president who claims to have seen a UFO when at Shirely McLain's house, is demanding that there be a recount of votes in New Hampshire:Democrat Dennis Kucinich, who wo
The report yesterday of Iraqi soldiers sacrificing their lives by throwing themselves at a terror bomber and saving lives of their colleagues and civilians reminded me of an event last year  involving
Scott Johnson of Powerline offers two outstanding commentaries on Israel-related matters.He first noted yesterday the puzzling (at best; shameful at worst) rhetoric President Bush used yesterday in sp
The stakes are high in Nevada for the Democrats who will Caucus on January 19th to determine who wins the bulk of the state's 33 delegates. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been working the
For lack of a nail a kingdom was lost.  Hopefully for lack of promptly paying telephone bills our country won't be lost.:Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected cr
The National Rifle Association has won a court victory in California, as a state appeals court upheld a lower court decision overturning a sweeping San Francisco law penalizing gun ownership. The NRA
Open tribal warfare in remote areas of Pakistan has the potential of scoring a major success in the War on Terror. As pointed out here at AT yesterday, indicators point to the beginning of the civil w
That's the question asked by Ed Morrissey and many Republicans following last night's GOP debate in South Carolina.Mitt Romney took on Senator John McCain, the victor in New Hampshire, over economic i
Much of what is wrong with Western Civilization today can be summed up in two words---Oprah Winfrey.  With Oprah, facts, reality and logic mean nothing, it is only how you feel about a matter that is
Andrew Bostom raises his eyebrows over a scandal in the world of Koranic scholarship. A priceless archive of photographs of early Koran manuscripts was claimed to have been destroyed in bombing of the
Christopher Hitchens has always been a puzzle and delight to me. He brings equal passion to being appalled by Bill Clinton and Mother Teresa, an odd coupling, and is always eloquent and funny, even wh
What are the top 10 existential risks to humanity? (HT: Instapundit)It's a good thing someone is thinking about some of these things because frankly, the end of humanity is something I care not to con
Speaking of left wing charges of American guilt over World War II, the well-known accusation that George W. Bush's family were somehow financing the rise of the Nazis in Germany is dealt with by Jonah
President Bush toured Israel's Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust yesterday and made an emotional remark that the US should have bombed Auschwitz. Maybe so, but if guilt is to be assigned, how about
Two new reports on last month's asssassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto have only added to the mystery and confusion surrounding that event:Two new reports on the assassination last mon
A measure designed to allow thousands of Sunni Muslims who served under Saddam Hussein to regain their employment in the Iraqi government has passed the parliament today:Iraq's parliament adopted legi
John McCain has parlayed his big win in New Hampshire into a double digit lead in the Republican race for president.The senator from Arizona is the front-runner in the battle for the Republican presid
Today the Wall Street Journal details the corruption in five World Bank projects in India which former bank President Wolfowitz suspended and which anti-corruption chief Folsom has exposed to the Bank
For the last 10 days, crime scene investigators from Scotland Yard have been pouring over evidence in the death of Benazir Bhutto. Their conclusion: It was an al-Qaeda operation:BRITISH officials have
President Bush is continuing his 8 day visit to the Middle East with a stop in Kuwait and a speech at Camp Arifjan to thousands of American military personnel:But I want to tell you what the history w
With the economy taking center stage in Michigan, a new Detroit Free Press poll shows Mitt Romney narrowly in front of John McCain 27%-22% with Mike Huckabee in third with 16%. Republican primary vote
Counting civilian deaths in Iraq is a ghoulish business. Given the chaos in the country for much of the last 4 years and the breakdown of government record keeping, the job has devolved into a statist
Dear Editor:The January 12 article in American Thinker by Abdirahman Warsame entitled "Problems in the VOA-Somali Service" contained a number of inaccuracies and false statements, to which the Voice o
It will probably come down to turnout in the Michigan Republican primary tomorrow. With all the polls showing a near dead heat between John McCain and Mitt Romney, the contest will be decided by who g
You knew it had to happen sooner or later.Race is the 800 pound gorilla in the room when it comes to American politics. Few talk about it. And using it as a weapon in a campaign went out with George W
As the debate builds about state-controlled thermostats in your homes, you may notice that programmable communicating thermostats (PCTs) are now being referred to as "Smart" thermostats.  This conflat
An al-Qaeda terrorist plot against the Queen of England was foiled last year at the Commonwealth Summit in Uganda, according to the Ugandan government:AL Qaeda terrorists posing as TV crews planned to
This is a story that could only happen as a result of the internet.It is  the world wide web that has fueled the candidacy of Ron Paul from the beginning, gathering not only the rational libertarians,
No one denies that Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist Preacher, is a great communicator on the stump. His down home demeanor and wit have rocketed him into second place in most national polls.But Hucka
In the midst of his 6 country, eight day Middle East trip, President Bush urged Middle Eastern countries to reject the extremism represented by Iran and al-Qaeda and embrace democracy.Speaking to a ga
The Heritage Foundation just released its latest Index of Economic Freedom.  It provides ever more evidence that economic freedom yields "greater prosperity for the larger society."  It also helps bol
Bobby J. Jindal is the new governor of Louisiana, and that is excellent news for all of us. The adjective "impressive" does not even begin to describe his accomplishments at the age of 36.Given the im
Given all the political baggage that comes with Hillary Clinton, many Democratic heavy hitters in states that historically go Republican in presidential elections have come out recently for Barack Oba
Barack Obama has been able to get away with a soft focus posture of "bringing us together" only because the major media have largely ignored his dedicated support for Pastor Jeremiah Wright, of the Tr
According to several intelligence officials, Pakistan has lost control of the militant and extremist networks they created in the 1980's:Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency has lost contro
After a contentious 48 hours where both leading Democrats traded racially charged barbs, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have called for a truce when it comes to the subject of race:Speaking to black
There's a long way to go yet and anything can happen in the GOP race for president - including the McCain Express being derailed in Michigan today by Mitt Romney.But two new polls out show just how fa
I suppose we should be used to it by now. The New York Times is, if nothing else, predictable when it comes to their "support" for the troops - that is to say, if they speak out against the war they a
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization),  where are you when needed?  Nearly seven years ago the Taliban blew up and destroyed the thousands year old Buddha statues c
The Baltimore Sun reports  on the sermon delivered last Sunday by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., the man Barack Obama describes as his "spiritual mentor."News Alert 9 and Sweetness&Light draw our atte
The New York Sun is reporting that Barack Obama repudiated the views of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan that were discussed in Richard Cohen's Washington Post column. Cohen's criticism regardin
David Schenker of Counterterrorism Blog highlights the barely reported car bomb attack on a US diplomoatic convoy that killed three Lebanese civilians and injured dozens more yesterday.Schenker can't
In what must be the strangest endorsement of at least this campaign cycle, Nevada's largest circulating daily newspaper has just given the nod to Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president
AT is pleased to have played a small role in keeping Californians (and perhaps eventually all Americans) in charge of their thrmostat settings. For now, at least. Joseph Somsel first revealed here tha
Jeff Jacoby thinks so.The Boston Globe columnist makes a compelling case that Condoleeza Rice announced its death last week:The secretary of state was speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en rou
The real news last night for the Democrats was coming out of Nevada where the contenders sat down for the most sickeningly sweet debate in major party history.But there was a primary for Michigan Demo
Continuing his visit to the Middle East, President Bush promised to raise the issue of high oil prices with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia:“My point to His Majesty is going to be, when consumers have l
Speaking before a group of supporters on Monday night, Mike Huckabee said something rather shocking:"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to c
Republicans made it three for three on Tuesday night; three major nominating contests, three different winning candidates.There have been so many frontrunners for the GOP nomination over the last year
In a New York Times editorial yesterday concerning the auto company Tata Motors, the following snide comment was made:'Given the gas-guzzling behemoths that so many of us in the West feel entitled to,
Riots broke out in an opposition stronghold as police waded into crowds, firing their guns indiscriminately:The worst clashes were in Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city and an opposition stronghold, w
Alicia Colon, the New York Sun columnist, has earned my high esteem for her incisive writing. Today she publishes an interesting case for Fred Thompson  at Jewish World Review.Like Ms. Colon and many
A new, massive study of abortions in the United States has found that there are "ever-fewer pregnant women choosing abortion and those who do increasingly opting to avoid surgical clinics."The number
The Pakistani army suffered a humiliating defeat yesterday when Taliban and al-Qaeda troops overran a fort on the Afghan frontier:Pakistani troops abandoned an outpost near the border with Afghanistan
The winner of the Michigan primary took one look at the lay of the land in South Carolina and decided to skip that state's Saturday primary in favor of campaigning in Nevada where Republicans will Cau
President Bush completed his 8 day, 6 country tour of the Middle East with a short visit to Egypt.The visit was so short that President Mubarak chided him for it:President Mubarak found an opportunity
For all her fanfare as the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi hasn't exactly taken the country by storm. Since taking the gavel:She failed to get her $35 billion increase to the children'
Hard to guess what Obama's game is here but in an interview with the Reno-Gazette editorial board, the Democratic contender for the nomination praised Ronald Reagan and gave some decidedly un-progress
If you're as angry as I am about the NYT's slandering our troops by falsely suggesting vets are homicidal maniacs, you'll enjoy Iowahawk's takedown of journalism, in which, using the same standards th
Shortly after a piece about a global warming protest in the middle of a Maryland snowstorm was linked by Drudge last night, its comments section was bombarded by flamethrowers.  In fact, so many contr
For more than a year, the Winograd Committee in Israel has been examining what went wrong in the war with Hezb'allah two summers ago. Leaks from the Commissions deliberations have been very hard on th
The Number 2 general on the ground in Iraq has said that he believes it is very possible that all 18 provinces will be in the hands of Iraqi security forces by the end of the year:Iraq's army and poli
No one was talking about it. No one had even mentioned it. But leave it to Mike Huckabee, whose scorched earth candidacy for President may yet do more damage to the Republican party than anything in r
Bill Clinton’s former advisor and campaign director has parlayed his past affiliation with the Clinton’s into a career in political punditry. He often has extremely valuable insights, but his predicti
Fed Chair Bernanke has apparently given some kind of economic stimulus package his approval, clearing the way for Bush to huddle with Congressional Democrats to come up with a plan to goose the econom
Not very neighbourly of them:An official Canadian government document has put both the United States and Israel on a watch list of countries where prisoners run the risk of being tortured, CTV televis
A new Las Vegas Review-Journal poll on the eve of Saturday's caucuses shows Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney besting their nearest rivals easily:Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney have
Dennis Sevakis' article today on the supposedly dire consequences of the nation's "trade deficit," while obviously well-intentioned, misses the mark in several respects.First, the article is based on
The war in Iraq is out as the cudgel with which the Democrats would bludgeon the Republicans in the elections in November.  The Democrats are now shifting their focus to the economy.However, though th
Here's some lazy reading for your Saturday afternoon pleasure.I came up with a list of my top ten political speeches of all time. Most of the modern ones have video or audio.It seems we Americans appr
In Nevada, it appears that Mitt Romney may be set for an easy win over John McCain. Romney is polling well in the few polls that have been done and is the only candidate with an organization. McCain i
It's snowing all across the state in South Carolina today as Republican voters go to the polls and choose the man they wish to be the nominee of the party.Polls are open 7-7 EDT and most of the last p
Yesterday, Hezb'allah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed hundreds of thousands of his supporters who turned out for a supposedly "religious" event for Shiites, and bragged that the terrorist group had
The Democratic race for president is starting to get ugly.Hillary Clinton's win in the Nevada Caucuses came with such bitterness that it begins to look as if the race is about to degenerate into a rac
John McCain's narrow but significant victory over Mike Huckabee in South Carolina yesterday has helped to clarify the GOP presidential race. With returns from 93 precincts counted, McCain won about 33
While Canada smugly condemns the US for practicing torture and a newly comeback Billary Clinton promises/threatens more government health care, the US is once again rescuing Canada's citizens from its
I will concede that Mr. Warshawsky is mostly correct in his criticism of my thesis if I were claiming that "trade deficits" should be viewed as cause rather than symptom. Though I may have created som
Proving once again that truth is stranger, much stranger, much more bizarre even than fiction, the creator of the taxpayer supported Canadian Broadcasting System's Little Mosque on the Prairie, (yes,
Close friends of mine received the kind of phone call we all dread a couple of days ago:"Hello, this is the emergency room of xxxx General Hospital. We are trying to reach the parents of xxxx."My frie
Bad news for Rudy Giuliani. A new poll conducted by Sienna College has the former New York Mayor trailing John McCain by double digits:174 Registered Republicans (± 7.4%) 36 McCain 24 Giuliani 10 Romn
The race to become the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States is getting heated, drawing figurative blood.  But if we step back and take a look, where does the race currently stand
If you've watched Hugo Chavez and ever wondered if he's on drugs, the Miami Herald reports that your suspicions are accurate:Venezuela’s controversial President Hugo Chávez has revealed that he regula
A few weeks ago the Washington Post published a vile opinion piece in its religion section titled "Jewish Identity Can't Depend on Violence."  The author was Arun Gandhi, yes the Mahatma's grandson, w
There's inflation...and then there's what's happening in Zimbabwe:Zimbabwe faces the world's highest official inflation of an estimated 25,000 per cent. Independent financial institutions say real inf
Readers of The American Thinker know the high regard we hold for blogger Michael Yon, who has spent most of the last 3 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those of us who hunger for the real story of what
Welcome to politics - Clinton style. Obama's campaign manager:“We currently have reports of over 200 separate incidents of trouble at caucus sites, including doors being closed up to thirty minutes ea
Bad news for history. Oliver Stone, the director that gave us the completely fabricated film on the Kennedy assassination, JFK and the almost laughably over the top profile of Richard Nixon has set hi
The autopsy on the Thompson campaign will find that it succumbed to a host of -ion diseases: equivocation; expectation; communication; and perception. Equivocation:  Last summer the "will he or won't
Hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked a fort in South Waziristan seeking to dislodge the para military units stationed there by the Pakistani government. After several hours of intense fighting, 37 mi
Ever watchful guardians of the Islamic faith, a key Iranian government official is warning the Dutch not to show a film about Islam and the Koran, threatening to "reconsider their relationship" with t
Alan Reynolds of the Wall Street Journal doesn't think so. Further, he believes the various "stimulus plans" being floated by all the presidential candidates as well as George Bush's idea to goose the
Following a meltdown of overseas stock markets, the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate 3/4 of a percent in hopes of heading off a similar sell off here in America:The surprise reduction in the fe
In the most contentious debate to date, Democratic presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton traded charges that the other one was not being entirely honest:The debate turned p
The New York Post has video of Bill Clinton sleeping through portions of Sunday's MLK commemorative service at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem.  Considering that no one watching could poss
In Saudi Arabia, a small step forward in women's rights doesn't even begin to overcome the restricted reality of women's life in this oil rich backward kingdom.   In a major breakthrough--for them--Wo
Masked gunmen blew up a large section of a wall seperating the border town of Rafah - a divided city with one half in Egypt and the other in impoverished Gaza. The result was a massive exodus of peopl
John Ellis, writing on Real Clear Markets, makes a strong case for the business logic of a Google takeover of the New York Times Company. And he lays out a plausible scenario leading to the Sulzberger
There are two remarkable things about this report from the Sec/Gen's envoy in Iraq:1. He admits things are improving.2. He does so in such a way as to make it seem as if he is reluctant to do so.This
It's an election year and there are fears of a recession.This deadly combination has led to the White House and Congress putting their heads together to come up with what they are calling a "stimulus
Carl Cameron of Fox News is reporting on his blog that he has been keeping a secret about the Thompson campaign for months; that the idea of a  Thompson for President campaign was actually a trial bal
Convicted terrorist Jose Padilla was sentenced to 17 years in prison yesterday for his role in helping Islamic extremists overseas:The sentence was more lenient than the federal sentencing guidelines
In a decision that has shocked the Missouri Republican party, Governor Matt Blunt  has decided not to seek a second term:In a statement that shocked political leaders, in both parties, Blunt released
"You filthy idiot. WE ARE HERE TO STAY hahahahahahhahah DROP DEAD."  That's an email by a Dutch Labour Party politician to a constituent. According to the Dutch news agency NIS News, "Labour (PvdA) po
Hillary Clinton's candidacy is splitting  the left over more than race. No longer inevitable, and lacking her husband's natural political talents, the appalling behavior of the Clinton campaign is dra
A disturbing article in Naharnet, the English language translation of Lebanon's largest Arab daily An Nahar.Thanks to Hezb'allah's obstructionism in blocking the selection of a consensus candidate for
I did a double take when reading this one:A liberal advocacy group plans to spend $8.5 million in a drive to make sure President Bush's public approval doesn't improve as his days in the White House c
Sometimes the vast gulf between elite opinion and popular opinion about the United States overseas comes into focus. Today is one such day.On the one hand, Foreign Policy magazine presents us a collec
Bill and Hillary Clinton are aggressive politicians - no one disputes that. But many believe their primary campaign against Barack Obama has hit an all time low as far as cheap shots, deliberate misre
The New York Times thinks it has the answer:Campaign insiders and outside strategists point to several factors driving the ill will, most notably, Mr. Romney’s attacks on opponents in television comme
Hugo Chavez continues his experiment in Petro-Socialism but is getting the same results all socialists have gotten since the ideology was first tried in Soviet Russia more than 90 years ago.It doesn't
The Palestinians who blew up approximately 7 miles of a wall that seperates Egypt from Gaza are, in addition to being experts at killing innocent Israelis, pretty good at imitating P.T. Barnum as well
Even Vanity Fair which can be reliably counted on the push the Dem agenda has had it with America's dynamic duo:Watching the Democrats debate in South Carolina, I was struck by the heated "I'm here. H
A car bomb exploded in east Beirut today killing Lebanon's top anti-terror policeman as he was returning from a meeting with the International Tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime
It's nothing the Vatican hasn't been saying for years but Pope Benedict hammered the media perhaps more vigorously than any of his predecessors.Celebrating "World Communications Day" the Pope didn't p
I was wracking my brain trying to think of another 90 minute show in the history of television that was as boring and devoid of substantative content as the GOP debate in Florida last night.Michelle M
There are no lack of suspects in the car bomb blast that killed one of the top anti-terrorist investigators in Lebanon, Captain Wissam Eid. In addition to the Syrian security services, there are also
Ed Lasky's two AT articles discussing Barack Obama's foreign policy advisory team (here and here) have caused a lot of comment, published and not, within the pro-Israel community. Today, Noah Pollak w
The New York Times and others are reporting that Alabama-based hedge fund gave notice Friday that it would try to elect directors to The New York Times Company board, the company said.Evidently the he
Last November when the DNC handed down its “death sentence” punishment to Michigan and Florida for holding their primaries prior to the party mandated February 5 date, there was immediate speculation
A new al Qaeda plot set in Spain and involving other European targets was recently disrupted, as reported by Reuters. The attack was set to occur shortly before a general election, much like the previ
It is a sad fact in our media driven culture that a story about a group of Islamic extremists who were rounded up last week and discovered to be on the verge of carrying out several terrorist attacks
My guess is if McCain wins the nomination it's going to be a McCain-Powell ticket, if Hillary is the nominee. From a conservative's perspective it would be painful. But, from a raw-politics perspectiv
Much is being made out of very ambiguous poll which CNN (and many named pundits are citing with authority) suggesting Bill's campaigning hurt Hillary in South Carolina. Tom Maguire argues persuasively
In a devastating blow to the Giuliani campaign, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced last night that he was throwing his support - and considerable weight and popularity - behind John McCain.The G
Senator Barack Obama won a big victory over Hillary Clinton in South Carolina but it may not be enough to propel him into a dominant position in the February 5 Super Tuesday match ups.That's because e
A truly evil person finally died. The founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine George Habash died in his home in Amman, Jordan. He was 83.  A doctor who received training in the US
I thought Bill Clinton displayed a rare moment of truth on the campaign trail when he noted that his wife Hillary and John McCain are "very close".   I have been saying that for some time now when it
I don't agree completely with Mr. Lawrence's reasoning.  It seems that his argument centers on human interaction and intelligence being the product of input.  Thus the "garbage in, garbage out" analys
Chris Hitchens reminds us of the many times in the past the Clintons have used racial politics for their own advancement, and concludes:Many of these same people do not like it now that they see simil
Gunmen described by Pakistani authorities as "criminals" rather than extremists barged into a school after a botched kidnap plot involving a local health official and seized several dozen children and
President Bush will deliver his seventh and last State of the Union message tonight emphasizing gains in Iraq and his initiatives for a slowing economy.For years, President Bush and his advisers expre
What started as protests against a rigged presidential election has escalated into tribal warfare in Kenya with gangs of men armed with machetes and iron bars running unchecked by police through towns
This is what Sheryl Stolberg writes today in the New York Times on page A1 in White House Memo:Mr. Bush has spent years presiding over an economic climate that would be the envy of most presidents. Ye
Did Mitt Romney call for a phased withdrawal of American troops last April?John McCain says yes while Romney denies it. And despite some press outlets calling "Foul" on McCain for deliberately misinte
In a surprising break with his past practice of not getting involved in Democratic primaries, Ted Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama for President:Both the Clintons and their allies had pressed Mr. Ken
Laurie Mylroie critiques the 60 Minute interview with Saddam's interrogator Piro, reminds the memory challenged of facts which contradict Saddam's self-serving explanation of what happened to Iraq's W
The Asia Times is reporting that a new US military base near the Pakistan-Afghan border will be used to carry out lightening raids into Pakistan to take out al-Qaeda and Taliban targets - without the
Victor Davis Hanson offers a modest proposal for dealing with the problem of Israel and the Middle East -- one as bitingly satirical as Swift's on the Irish: Internationalize the effort to solve it.Gr
The always brilliant Noemie Emery reminds us how difficult it is to write a book about current events: Lead times  and the fast pace of change make the works obsolete if not embarrassingly wrong by th
It may have been Hezb'allah's game all along. The "peaceful protest" on Sunday in Hezb'allah's stronghold in southern Beirut - where some reports have the protestors opening fire at the army - and whi
In the president's final State of the Union address, Bush eschewed the large, grandiose plans to remake social security and other entitlements in favor of smaller, more achievable goals that have most
More than 80 attorneys representing the detainees still being held at Guantanamo have issued a statement supporting the candidacy of Barack Obama for president:''We are at a critical point in the pres
Does the reported financial crunch of the MSM media mean that fact checkers--or even sharp eyed copy editors--have been increasingly let go?  Well, perhaps the Boston Globe can use that pathetic excus
President Bush's State of the Union speech signaled an important first step in the establishment of his legacy.  In many respects, the speech reflected a transformation in the American Presidency from
In his new blog, Explorations,Charles Martin explains why intelligence estimates are so useless to decision makers:...what I observed was this: the actual intelligence collection goes on, and it's rel
Were laws broken during the subprime mortgage bubble? The FBI wants to know:The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened criminal inquiries into 14 companies as part of a wide-ranging investigation
It's not quite the same thing as Andrew Young, Jimmy Carter's UN Ambassador, sneaking around and talking with Palestinian Liberation Organization officials at the United Nations in direct contraventio
For most of the last decade, former Senator John Edwards has tried to turn a one term stint as North Carolina senator into a successful run for president.He made it to the Veep slot on the Democratic
Presidential candidate Barack Obama is giving nearly $70,000 raised by jailed financier and fundraiser Antoin Rezko to charity:The campaign announced the decision to shed the money Tuesday evening, sa
Several sources are reporting that Mayor Rudy Giuliani will drop out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination today and endorse John McCain:Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Flor
Defying the expectations of the pundits, John McCain cruised to a relatively easy win in the GOP Florida primary last night solidifying his position as Republican front runner and setting the table fo
The New Republic's Martin Peretz today writes that  Robert Malley is not an advisor to Barack Obama. It was just less than a month ago that Peretz wrote that Malley was an adviser. At that time, the i
Apparently, the space program is the ultimate has-been. Fifty years ago today, the most important news in the world was that the United States had responded to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1,
When the big one hits northern California and the army is called out to assist in saving lives and keeping order, someone please tell me why they should bother protecting places like San Francisco and
An Associated Press report in response to President Bush's recent State of the Union speech argues that while the president was accurate on his statements regarding Afghanistan, he is misleading about
Decriminalizing marijuana, that is. Jen Haberkorn of the Washington Times reports that last Fall during a presidential debate Barack Obama "hesitantly raised his hand and joined with most of his Democ
It's hard to know exactly what to make of this:In a major boost for John McCain, Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney signaled Wednesday he's not ready to commit to a costly campaign in the state
John McCain and Mitt Romney sparred over several issues last night but neither landed a telling blow on the other and both emerged relatively unscathed.This is bad news for Romney who needed to score
Yesterday's green propaganda teach in demonstrated campuses are as much about indoctrination as discovering truth from the interplay of diverse viewpoints. Global warming issues took over lecture hall
Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior al-Qaeda commander, was killed by a US missile strike targeting him specifically on Wednesday:In a eulogy, it said he was "martyred with a group of his brothers in the land
The New York Sun editorially defended Barack Obama's stance toward Israel on January 9th. Since then, a number of Obama supporters have used that editorial to counter the effects the growing controver
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stood side by side for nearly 2 hours last night and debated the same issues they have been debating for months.This time, however, there was none of the rancor and il
Once again Noemie Emery nails it on the Clintons: Reviewing the Clintons' dismissal of those who objected to preferential hiring and admission programs for the sake of diversity until faced with real
Falling further behind industry giant Google all the time, Microsoft has decided to make a leap into better competititveness by making a bid for another industry titan.Yahoo has also been trying unsuc
The City of Berkeley has declared war on the Marine recruting office in town, referring to them as "intruders," and both sides appear to be gearing up for battle.Yesterday, three Code Pink protestors
Lord Christopher Monckton has the most trenchant short critique of the global warming fraud I've ever read.  Monckton is a former Margaret Thatcher advisor, and is fighting the good fight as vigorousl
For a guy who touts himself as a uniter and not a divider, Barack Obama sure doesn't vote that way in the United States Senate.In fact, according to the National Journal's annual rankings, Obama is th
The United Kingdom, which gave the world limitations on the power of monarchs, representative democracy, the Industrial Revolution, and countless other gifts that constitute pillars of modernity, now
The defense team in the coming trial of former AIPAC employees Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman plan to demonstrate that the conduct of the two former AIPAC employees was no different that what occurs r
More than 100,000 protestors were in the streets of Ankara to protest a government measure that would lift the ban on head scarfs at Universities:Protesters called on the government to resign as they
A breakthrough in talks between writers and TV studios is being reported that may lead to the end of the 3 month long strike that has crippled the television industry:The two sides breached the gap Fr
Something is happening in the Democratic race that wasn't expected. Senator Barack Obama is surging in California and other states and is shaping up to do very well on Super Tuesday:But the Democratic
Despite almost the entire panoply of elected Republican leaders in Maine endorsing John McCain's candidacy, Mitt Romney turned his people out in droves and took the state caucuses by a more than 2-1 m
Out of multiplicity, unity.  As we yell and scream at the radio and TV and the computer screen these days, and even at each other, that's a vital principle to keep in mind. American politics ain't bea
By a narrow margin, the Serbian people decided to maintain close ties to the west despite the threat of Kosovo independence which would almost certainly be recognized by the EU:Tadic won 51 percent of
Germany has refused to deploy additional troops to Afghanistan to assist beleaguered Canadian and Dutch forces in the south.The flat refusal to help is a big blow to the Bush Administration who are de
A shocking survey from Great Britain shows that fully a quarter of the British people believe that Winston Churchill was a myth and Sherlock Holmes was a real person:The survey found that 47 percent t
This story will be an interesting counterpoint to an incident that occurred at a John McCain town hall meeting back in December.At that time, a woman referred to Hillary Clinton as a "bitch." McCain n
The trouble continues to escalate in Chad where small arms fire and artillery shelling are driving people in the countryside, many of them making their way to nearby Cameroon:  Shelling and small arms
I just returned from voting. The weather in Chicago and its sprawling suburbs is bad and only going to get worse what with a predicted foot of snow starting before rush hour tonight. This will probabl
The always worth reading San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra Saunders explains to the Berkeley city council that free speech is for all. It is not  a ticket for leftists to suppress other views, a
While the world recovered from the Super Bowl and prepared for Super Tuesday, I skipped work and spent Monday driving roughly 250 miles through a terrific Midwestern winter fog storm to join a worldwi
It appears that even the communists on the Berkeley city council can be affected by popular opinion:A week after blasting the Marines as "unwelcome intruders" in Berkeley, two City Council members wan
A surge by Barack Obama has allowed him to leap  ahead or pull even in several states he trailed badly in last week which means that it is likely neither he or Hillary Clinton will come out of Super T
Without much excitement, the Republican party appears ready to hand John McCain a smashing victory today when 21 states hold primaries and caucuses.Mitt Romney is making a late play for California, Ge
Randle P. McMurphy endorses Nurse Ratched.  That is, the actor who played McMurphy in the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Jack Nicholson, has endorsed Hillary Clinton, who often has been compar
The GOP race for the nomination is much simpler than the Democrats; John McCain is far ahead and if he hasn't quite wrapped up the nomination, it would take a miracle for either Mitt Romney or Mike Hu
Many Republicans who do not agree with him on any number of issues have long been aware that John McCain receives exceptionally good press, and lots of it.  In its analysis of last week's coverage  th
The news nets are still tabulating delegates won by all the candidates last night and we probably won't have any firm numbers until later this afternoon. But NBC and the Obama campaign are in near agr
I suppose we can thank God for small favors when we learn that, according to StrategyPage.com , al Qaeda is so thoroughly defeated that they are bugging out of Iraq and going to Pakistan. While this r
He would have been 97 if he had lived. Considering the dedication he maintained to keeping himself physically fit, one wonders if Alzheimer's had not afflicted him if he would have been hale and heart
When Ted Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama for president, it hit the Clinton camp in a personal way no other endorsement from any other politician could have.  As this Boston Globe column makes clear, Ken
John McCain hit many of the notes I suggested this morning, and seems to have won over the balance of   the CPAC crowd's verbally expressed opinion. There was a brief moment of booing when he raised t
The UK Times asks, and then two days later seems to answer negatively the question: "Does Islam fit with our law?  Two days ago, Ian Edge and Robin Griffiths-Jones (respectively, director of Centre of
Having raised close to $120 million dollars this year on her presidential run, questions are being raised about just how much money Hillary Clinton has left?  Hillary Rodham Clinton personally lent he
Why is it that Americans have never elected an ordained minister, priest or rabbi as President? After all, the Founders were steeped in what has been called the "civil religion" of America.   Every ti
Just what kind of welcome may be the story of the year.   John McCain, whose Super Tuesday performance has given him an aura of inevitability in the eyes of many Republican leaders, has begun an aggre
Perhaps it's time that the United States government start asking a basic, fundamental question about Pakistan: Just whose side are they on?  Taliban militants declared a cease-fire Wednesday in fighti
Al Qaeda appears to be crumbling in Iraq, a spectacular victory in the War on Terror. A senior leader has bared his soul to Amit R. Paley of the Washington Post, painting a vivid picture of what the s
The House gave final approval yesterday to the stimulus package proposed by President Bush and sent it to the White House for signing.It was just two weeks ago that the President proposed the measure.
Hugo Chavez's seizure last year of a huge oil project in the name of the state has not come without costs. US oil giant Exxon has sued Venezuela to recover costs from the project and a judge has agree
As part of the never-ending lies about veterans, the media has falsely peddled stories that they are more suicidal and homicidal than those who never served in the military. Now, they are peddling tal
The debate over global warming theory is turning into a contest between two explanatory models for climate change: human activity or solar activity. Now comes news that solar activity may be declining
Now that John McCain has the nomination all but wrapped up, pundits and political junkies are turning their attention to the next order of business; who will be McCain's choice for the second spot on
Ever since the Berkeley City Council approved a letter to the Marine recruting office in town that referred to them as "intruders" and also passed a resolution giving Code Pink a permanent parking spa
More bad news for advocates of ethanol and other bio fuels. Several recent studies have shown that these alternative fuels actually cause more greenhouse gas emissions than regular fuels:The benefits
Caught using an adocate as co-author of an article on Gitmo. Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher writes: The co-author of a recent front page story in The New York Times about the death of a detainee at
Henry II was said to utter "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" when he wanted his conflict with the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Beckett over the power of the church to end.Beckett was
The Washington Post has a new publisher, a dynamic, intelligent, and comparatively young (41) lawyer. Did I mention that she is the granddaughter of legendary former CEO Katharine Graham, niece of cur
Government sources are saying that a sweeping case involving as many as 6 detainees at Guantanamo, charged with conspiracy in the 9/11 attacks, may be in the offing:The charges, to be filed in the mil
American traitor Adam Gadahn, AKA "Azzam al-Amriki" (Azzam the American) has appeared in several al-Qaeda videos in recent years, proclaiming his allegiance to Osama Bin Laden and issuing blood curdli
Acting in his role of President of the United States Senate, not as Vice President, Dick Cheney his signed an amicus brief from Congress urging the Supreme Court to strike down Washington, DC's firear
Despite John McCain's heartfelt, even humble speech before conservative activists at the CPAC conference, many on the right remain unconvinced that a McCain presidency would be anything short of a dis
David Shuster's been suspended from MSNBC from using a vulgar but common street term, "pimping", to describe how Clinton's campaign was using Chelsea to promote her mother. Tom Maguire reminds us that
Jonah Goldberg expertly explains the vast and highly visible chasm between the two parties when it comes to fundamental principles, on National Review Online. Republicans are driven by issues, while D
Today sees the Democratic contest for president move into the next stage. And on the surface, the contests today in Washington, Louisiana, and Nebraska as well as Tuesday's primaries in Virginia, Mary
Enthusiasts for closing down Guantanamo Bay as a prisoner for battlefield detainees rarely specify where they would re-locate prisoners. Close attention should be paid to this story  from the UK's lef
I'm sure you're all familiar with the old nursery rhyme "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me." This simple children's poesy came to mind as I was reading one of the 400-pl
"Kow tow" is the Chinese word denoting the way an individual is to grovel before authority. In practical terms, it meant kneeling before the Emperor and touching your head to the ground.What else do y
On the heels of Berkeley, California telling the Marine recruiters that they were "intruders" in their own country and "unwelcome" in the city, the Mayor of Toledo gave a Marine training unit 24 hours
Mike Huckabee continued his impressive string of wins in the south, barely edging John McCain in Louisiana 43-42% while also taking the caucuses in Kansas. McCain eked out a close victory in the Washi
Senator Barack Obama won all three Democratic contests on Saturday, sweeping caucuses in Washington State and Nebraska while thumping Hillary Clinton in the Louisiana primary:While Mr. Obama’s victori
Another top NATO general is going on the record about our success in Afghanistan, though you are unlikely to hear about such things from the mainstream media that prefer a narrative of failure.Last we
Harbert Management and their partners have disclosed that they now own 14 million shares of the New York Times Company slightly less than 10% of the shares outstanding. Harbert and their partners accu
Two captured letters released by the US military show Al-Qaeda in Iraq in desperate shape while local leaders complain bitterly about the success of "The Awakening" that has brough 80,000 Sunnis into
Via Ed Morrissey, we get the good news that a key militia leader has been captured by US forces in Muqtada al-Sadr's stronghold of Sadr City:U.S. soldiers captured a suspected Shiite militia commander
The very first trial under the Military Tribunal system of justice for detainees at Guantanamo could be a capital case involving 6 terrorists charged with complicity in the 9/11 attacks on the United
Something very fishy happened during the GOP Washington State caucuses.With about 87% of the vote counted, the state party stopped counting and declared John McCain the winner - despite the fact he wa
Senator Barack Obama cruised to an easy win in the Maine Caucuses on Sunday, thwarting Hillary Clinton's hopes to take one state from a weekend that saw the Illinois senator sweep the Nebraska and Was
Suffering 4 major defeats this past weekend and with the probability of taking it on the chin in three other contests on Tuesday, a desperate Hillary Clinton has fired her long time campaign manager a
In another legislative victory for the "lame duck" President Bush, the Senate has voted against an amendment that would have stripped a key provision from the bill re-authorizing the Terrorism Surveil
Thomas Lifson must have sampled a few too many barrels from his cellar.  No self-respecting American conservative would adopt the historical dialectical as a political model.  It's way too intellectua
There are conflicting reports of a confrontation early this morning between representatives of the pro-troop Move America Forward and anti-military protestors of Code Pink.This report has the police s
He was the only serving member of Congress who was a survivor of the Holocaust, an anti-Nazi freedom fighter at age 16 saved only by the kindness of Raul Wallenberg who hid him in a safehouse until af
They are voting today in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. in both Democratic and Republican primaries. As the closing arguments were made to voters in Virginia, Maryland and the District, elec
This really is too rich for irony. Barack Obama's Houston campaign office prominently displays a Cuban flag with a superimposed picture of Che Guevara, the Argentine-born terrorist and revolutionary.
Ed Lasky points us to this shocking article in the New York Sun that shows the utter futility in trying to enforce current campaign finance laws.A very large number of people - numbering in the hundre
Friday, February 8, 2008, I nearly fainted while listening to Rush Limbaugh's radio program.  What caused the near swoon was a conversation Rush had with a caller, Kelly in Denver, about possibilities
Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Sally Bulinas is the latest distinguished scientist to declare anthropogenic global warming theory wrong. The Tyler (TX) Morning Telegraph reports: Dr. Sallie Baliunas share
Barack Obama and John McCain easily won primaries last night in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. solidifying their front runner status and bringing both candidates much closer to the nominatio
The Berkeley City Council voted last night to rescind a controversial letter to the Marine recruiting office where they referred to the office and the Marines manning it as "unwelcome intruders:"The b
Citing Chinese inaction in helping to resolve the agony in Darfur, Steven Spielberg has pulled out as artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics:His move is a public relations blow to the Chinese govern
Reading about the Palestinian Authority asking the State Department to intervene on the PA's side in lawsuits brought against it by U.S. victims of Palestinian terrorism - on grounds that it makes no
He was one of the most wanted men in the world. He masterminded numerous attacks against innocents in Israel, South America, and the United States including the hijacking of TWA passenger jet and the
There was a fine display of British outrage yesterday at the UK Telegraph website. Even the Queen herself has now "expressed concern" that the Archbishop embrace of Shari'a law in Britain has undermin
First, at the end of December The New Republic's Martin Peretz writes that he is has qualms with Obama's Foreign Policy advisers and lists, in particular, Zbigniew Brzezenski, Anthony Lake, Susan Rice
Hooray for Denmark, the little country that could.Despite death threats and warnings of economic retaliationDenmark’s three main newspapers will take the provocative step today of reprinting a cartoon
The news from Iraq continues to be positive as the parliament has passed three vital pieces of legislation that will assist in political reconciliation.After months of inaction and some balking by the
Beleaguered by hedge fund shareholders angry at the dismal performance of the New York Times Company, Pinch Sulzberger has opted to nominate two new directors for the company's board. Unfortunately fo
Hats off (for the umpteenth time) to Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters for uncovering  outright hysteria over global warming: it is going to require us to learn to eat bugs, or so goes the latest hysterica
File this one under "Weird Political Stories:"On Wednesday, a top adviser to John McCain said more definitively than he has in the past that he will step down from the Arizona senator's presidential c
In a bid to get the United Nations to sign off on another round of sanctions against Iran, the CIA has taken the extraordinary step of sharing intelligence with the International Atomic Energy Adminis
With the threat of a presidential veto in the offing, the Senate passed a bill that would prevent US intelligence agencies from using waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" on al-
When I read what passes for adult discourse in the mainstream press, I think I'm back in junior high school. Witness these two wishful-thinking paragraphs by Bonnie Erbe of PBS and Scripps Howard:"If
Is the American electorate solidly behind the idea of increasing foreign aid $845 billion over the next 13 years? Apparently that is what Barack Obama believes, for a bill he sponsored  doing exactly
Primary voters in Maryland contradicted the media narrative that voters are looking for centrist candidates to garner crossover voters. This cycle, a pair of Maryland House incumbents, a Democrat and
Why are the Democrats continuing to argue that the U.S. is ready to adopt their Iraq strategy?  Back in November, looking at the number of Iraqi refugees who were returning to a much pacified homeland
Hezb'allah terrorist chief Imad Mughniyeh was planning massive terrorist attacks on moderate Arab countries prior to his being assassinated, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper:Al-Watan reports that Amer
This would be shocking if we didn't suspect the Saudis weren't giving a wink and a nod to terrorists already.Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless c
There are endorsements. And then there are "endorsements."Former dictator and current Nicarauguan president Danny Ortega has endorsed Senator Barack Obama's candidacy for US president, calling his cam
Madame Speaker:I just heard on the news that you are leading the Democrats out of the House for a break without passing the new intelligence bill. What are you thinking? I am guessing that you didn't
Outraged Muslim "Youths" torched cars, burned an elementary school, and attacked at least one journalist in the 5th night of rioting in Denmark:Seventeen people were arrested, Copenhagen Police spokes
There is considerable confusion this morning as to whether or not civil rights icon Representative  John Lewis (D-GA), an influential congressman and Super Delegate who was supporting Hillary Clinton,
Yet another climate expert concurs that, while solar activity normally fluctuates in 11-year cycles, we now appear to be at a cold standstill. And his research adds voice to growing concerns that Sun
The ultraliberal CBC reports a truth that is mighty inconvenient for Al Gore. There's an upside to the extreme cold temperatures northern Canadians have endured in the last few weeks: scientists say i
While Sen. Obama turns a phrase partially in the tradition of an inner-city AME evangelist, the exalting themes are not new: Lest we get too excited about inspiring political rhetoric, others have com
Critical thought and a rational mind are all conservatives have to protect from the madness of crowds.  Supporting John McCain over conservative principles is a bargain with fear.McCain won recent pri
Please permit me a response to the thinking of Mr. Hamid.Mr. Hamid believes he has a reinterpretation of Islamic text that offers hope that Islam can be reformed to peacefully coexist with non-Islam.
The death of Hezb'allah master terrorist Imad Mughniyeh has had significant reprecussions throughout the world. More details are emerging about a possible spectacular series of attacks that Mughniyeh
Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit reminds us that today is the one year anniversary of the beginning of the "surge" - the addition of 30,000 troops in Iraq and a change in strategy that has succeeded in dram
"By blocking this piece of legislation, our country is more in danger of an attack."So says President Bush as the law authorizing the Terrorist Surveillance Program is set to expire today:With a gover
In a move guaranteed to open an international hornet's nest of trouble, Kosovo will declare its independence from Serbia on Sunday:"Tomorrow will be a day of calm, of understanding, and of state engag
A horrific attack in Afghanistan at a dog fight of all places has killed at least 80 people and wounded dozens more.It's the worst suicide attack since 2001:A prominent militia commander who stood up
This piece in the Baltimore Sun nails it pretty well. Hillary Clinton's campaign is foundering because of one basic flaw; she positioned herself as "inevitable" in a campaign that was about "change:"N
A bill has been introduced to the California State Legislature to mandate teaching about global warming in the state's public schools. This would be a good idea, if two preconditions were met:1) If th
Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats have confidently announced that our counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq has failed and its time to bring the troops home.They certainly aren't basing that judgement on
I wonder why this web page, titled "Escalation is not the answer", has disappeared from the official Obama website?The missing page has been reprinted here Clinton/Obama Weblog: Escalation Is Not The
Given the ease with which Barack Obama has demonstrated raising colossal sums of money, one would think that he would be crazy to live up to his promise to eschew private donations for the general ele
One of the things I've come to love about writing for the Internet is the new friends I make whose perception sometimes make me smack my forehead in wonder that in all my years some insight they easil
Reflecting both a cynicism that their vote will be jiggered with by President Musharraf and a genuine fear of terrorism, Pakistani voters stayed home in droves today while the vote for a new parliamen
The AP says that Obama "sneaked down to North Carolina over the weekend" to visit with former candidate John Edwards. I suppose when you're a messiah and a "new kind of politician," being caught in a
We live in an age of cynicism, so perhaps Barack Obama's vapidities will turn enough of the mainstream media into skeptics to burst his bubble a bit. After all, young people, the core of his enthusias
The US Department of Agriculture has issued the largest recall of meat in its history; 143 million pounds.The reason? Hallmark Meat Packing in Chino, California's allowed sick and diseased animals to
It will be interesting to see how John McCain responds to this suggestion by Hillary Clinton that the Gitmo 6 and other prisoners should be tried in civilian criminal courts or "regular" military cour
Following mass disqualifications of reformist candidates for parliament ("reformist" being a relative term) by the ultra conservative Guardian Council, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appealed for a
Perhaps the Obama Campaign should reconsider its priorities and message.  The object of one's civic life is not to live in a country one can be proud of, but that one should live a life of such selfle
Barack Obama receives 90% of the black vote versus Hillary Clinton, but when another racial minority, Asian-Americans, shows signs of disproportionately voting for Hillary Clinton in primary elections
Al-Qaeda is getting busier in Afghanistan. Today, they claimed responsibility for an attack that apeared to be targeted at Canadian soldiers but, as usual, the terrorists ended up killing civilians.Th
In a victory for the Bush Administration, the Supreme Court threw out a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the government over the Terrorist Surveillance Program:The Supreme Co
Barack Obama talks a fine-sounding game about renewing our diplomacy and earning international respect. But when push comes to shove and key domestic political support is at stake, he is behaving like
There are some liberal commentators who fear that Obama's bubble is about to burst. They point to several factors including a natural inclination by the press to prove they are not taken in by Obama's
Results are trickling in and the final tally won't be known until tomorrow, but if preliminary results hold up, the two largest secular parties in Pakistan will have won big victories while the Islami
At this point, many of us may be harboring such unchristian and politically incorrect thoughts such as, "So why don't you just croak already?"Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cub
I'm not exactly sure how much traction this story is going to get. It's all over the internet and cable news nets which could mean Mrs. Obama's statement that: "[F]or the first time in my adult lifeti
Obama has been very clear that he is fighting against cynicism in his Presidential campaign.  A year ago at the DNC Winter Meeting, Obama said that in the upcoming campaign cynicism would be as big a
Anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr whose Mahdi Army militia was blamed for much of the violence in Iraq prior to a cease fire he called six months ago, has hinted that the cease fire will expire on Saturd
Another alleged "scientific consensus" turns out to be wrong. And this time, the data disproving proving the consensus view was gathered from the internet. From the University of Sydney:  It took just
So a highly politicized National Intelligence Estimate says that Iran stopped trying to get the bomb in 2003 while those with the most to lose if Iran goes nuclear say otherwise. Who to believe?Perhap
Ed Morrissey points us to this video and transcript from Chris Matthews "Hardball" show last night where a Texas state senator and Obama Super Delegate had a wee bit of a problem coming up with anythi
Have you noticed the inconvenient truth people are avoiding the truth this winter, demonstrating their concern for delicate planet Earth by substituting climate change for global warming?  Hmmm, could
Ten in a row. That's the tally in wins for Senator Barack Obama since Super Tuesday. And judging by the polls, it appears that the Democratic party may finally have settled on someone to be their nomi
So how does an American news giant tell its on air talent to handle Fidel Castro's resignation?By glossing over the truth of the tyrant's reign and pimping "social progress" under his brutal regime:In
That's Michelle Malkin describing the audience who listened and did nothing when Michelle Obama opined that there has never been a time in her adult life that she has been proud of America.The spin me
The New York Times under Pinch Sulzberger has, for all practical purposes,  become an arm  of the Democratic National Committee.  If Howard Dean, instead of Bill Keller and Andy Rosenthal, were formal
Duke Lacross players have sued the University for "emotional distress" suffered by 38 players when the Administration failed to support them:The lawsuit, to be filed today in U.S. District Court in No
Interesting development in the McCain smear by the New York Times. Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingram have both come out and attacked the outrageous smear being leveled against John McCain by the hit piec
StrategyPage.com has a superior summation of the reasons that Vladmir Putin is blowing hot air when he talks about a new "cold war" with the United States.The reason? Russia's military is something of
One wonders what his worshipful supporters might do when witnessing some other, more private bodily functions:It's probably safe to say that you have arrived as a politician when your audience applaud
The decline and fall of the New York Times accelerates, with today's anonymously-sourced hit piece on John McCain.  I will leave to others like Rick Moran  and Ed Morrissey  the debunking of the story
In a remarkable technological achievement, the Navy successfully shot down a malfunctioning spy satellite in orbit.At 10:29 p.m. last evening the Navy confirmed it hit a falling and potentially danger
The New York Times story alleging "impropriety" on the part of John McCain with a female lobbyist has several different angles to it but basically, it comes down to a story about sexual infidelity - a
Iran's nauseating, Nazi-inspired rhetoric over the last few days could presage an attack on Israel or Israeli citizens around the world.Some experts are also pointing to this uptick in name calling as
Even stalwart party members have to be sickened by the breadth of corruption exhibited by GOP politicians. The latest to do the perp walk; Congressman Richard Renzi of Arizona, indicted on 35  counts,
Patrick Ruffiini does the math. According to my initial projections off this crowdsourced spreadsheet of Obama donations I set up after the Wisconsin victory, Obama has already raised at least $45 mil
Last night's debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was a fairly staid affair with Mrs. Clinton delivering most of the heat as she sought to draw sharp distinctions between herself and Obama:
How much trouble is the New York Times in for their story yesterday alleging an affair between GOP near-nominee John McCain and a female lobbyist and subsequent unethical actions taken on her client's
It would appear that the overwrought enthusiasm for Barack Obama may have reached its zenith according to some observers.Margret Carlson of Bloomberg thinks the press is finally getting wise to the ca
Wednesday night's SM-3 shoot-down of a US spy satellite tumbling out of its orbit was a magnificent success for anti-missile defense. It meant hitting a bullet with a bullet, with only a ten-second ti
Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will extend the cease fire between his Mahdi Army and American forces according to sources:Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to prolong t
Better the devil you know...The Bush administration is pressing the opposition leaders who defeated Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to allow the former general to retain his position, a move that
A European Union team of experts has calculated that there is an outisde chance Iran could have made enough highly enriched uranium to have the capability to build a nuclear bomb by the end of the yea
The International Atomic Energy Agency has confronted the Iranian government with evidence supplied by the United States that their nuclear program has had two purposes; the manufacture of fuel for ci
The New York Times smear appears to have been a huge boost for McCain, and Obama is beginning to plateau, if not slip a bit.  Nobody but Rasmussen has picked this up yet (he has new numbers at 10 Cent
The incongruity of this nation sitting on half the world's oil reserves grows more grotesque by the day. Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday
A shocking new poll out today from Decision Analyst shows Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton by double digits in the race for the Texas primary:Barack Obama has a double digit lead over Hillary Clin
One of the serious real problems being created out of worries over the phony problem of supposedly man-made global warming is the rush to replace incandescent light bulbs (the kind Thomas Edison inven
Chalk this one up to United Nations incompetence.For more than 9 years, the UN had the status of Kosovo on its plate. It dillied. It dallied. It stalled. Until finally, the Kosovoans believed that the
A photo of Barack Obama in Muslim garb has been published by the supermarket tabloid, the National Examiner.  This is not the same tab that published pictures of George W. Bush shaking hands with spac
Meet Professor Immerman, a Michael Moore-type leftist DNI McConnell unaccountably appointed to a key position in the CIA .Immerman's biased and bizarre  views are detailed by Gabriel Schoenfeld who as
I guess it's now official. If the New York Times refers to Putins Russia as an autocracy, it must be so.That aside, the Times has a stellar article today on Putin's Russia and how his autocratic state
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has decided to quit the presidency in order to avoid an impeachment battle with Parliament, a close aid has told the Sunday Telegraph:One close confidante said tha
Many will wake up this morning quite surprised that Michael Moore's much touted and morning line favorite Sicko failed to pick up the Best Documentary OscarTM last night. Perhaps they shouldn't be.Sur
Asia Times' brilliant columnist "Spengler" has an interesting analysis of Obama. He says we can tell a lot about him from the women in his life -- his mother and wife -- and what we can tell indicates
Perhaps if the Clinton campaign itself had released the photo showing Barack Obama in the traditional Kenyan garb of a tribal elder (hinting that it was clothing worn by Muslims), it would have been s
She's tried being nice. She's tried being negative. She's even tried ignoring Obama for a while.With Obama building momentum in Texas and Ohio that could crush Hillary Clinton's candidacy on March 4,
Teachers College in New York, the Columbia University Graduate School of Education, seems to have a problem with ethics. Or perhaps political correctness is where the real trouble lies.Imagine a teach
Straight from the mouth of Jew-hating Louis Farrakhan. AP reports Farrakhan addressed a crowd of 20,000:"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he
It didn't take much of a hole in the wall for al-Qaeda to slip in to Gaza after Hamas breached the border with Egypt last month, according to the head of Israeli military intelligence.Maj.-Gen. Amos Y
Obama partisans love to compare their man to JFK, at least in terms of appeal and youth. Rowan Scarborough of the Washington Times quotes  Obama advisor Lawrence Korb minimizing Obama's inexperience i
Lieutenant General Muhammad Mushtaq Baig, the Surgeon General of Pakistan, and seven other people were killed in a suicide attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.A suicide bomber killed eight peopl
To help the traumatized and physically injured residents of Sderot, Israel, a small town in southern Israel up against the Gaza Strip where terrorists daily pound the town with rockets, some prominent
1.  If Hillary Clinton is going to be effective against Obama, she needs to find a new voice.  Currently, she is trying to do for oscillation what Bill did for triangulation.  She first found her voic
The Iranian "modesty police" known as the Ershad patrol bit off more than they could chew when they tried to arrest a woman in Tehran for "indecency" when they stopped her on the street for not wearin
The UK Times reports that Barack Obama's involvement with Chicago slum landlord Tony Rezko, currently under indictment, may involve money originating from a British-Iraqi Middle East wheeler-dealer, N
With a week before the crucial Texas and Ohio primaries, the Clinton campaign seems adrift and rudderless with no idea how to combat Barack Obama's growing inevitability as the Democratic candidate fo
News from the polling front has Obama surging and Hillary Clinton reeling.A new CBS-New York Times poll has the Illinois senator vaulting to a double digit lead over Clinton:A new CBS News/New York Ti
For years, free-market conservatives have proposed the best ideas for improving schools, public safety, and the economics of medicine. In every single case, they have been blocked by special-interest
I don't know how much life is left in the global warming/aka climate change hoax, but this should -- if widely known -- help nail the first part of the coffin lid down on it:Over the past year, anecdo
Orin Kerr over at Volokh Conspiracy, the fine legal blog, has been pondering what kind of Supreme Court judges Barack Obama might pick if he became president.Here are a couple of statements made by Ob
Leonard Bernstein, the great conductor/composer who frequently fronted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra is probably smiling in heaven about now.A huge talent whose contributions to American music a
Sadly, my own studies* of the Chinese language decades ago never made it to the point where I could find the right word to describe China's response to America's destruction of the spy satellite falli
Obama was unflappable and very smooth. Her strategy was to unnerve him by annoying him with relentless attack on his health care plan. He held his own.He also lies: he is not ahead in every poll with
The New York Times embraced Cuba's new/old dictator Raul Castro with a stunningly fawning piece reminiscent of the way they used to wax eloquently about his brother Fidel:Mr. Castro’s decision to begi
Cindy Sheehan, who lost the media spotlight--and some funding--as the surge in Iraq proved successful is ba-a-ack. In Cairo.  As a guest of the Muslim American Society, she is shilling for their local
The excerpts below are from an op-ed by Hussain Abdul-Hussain recently published in Lebanon's The Daily Star entitled "Wake up Arabs, Obama may be a Menance."A widespread impression increasingly evide
The Addison Independent, published in very liberal Vermont, surprisingly reports a message that implies support for troops staying in Iraq -- from a BBC bureau chief, Adi Raval who delivered it at a l
The audience for the orchestra in North Korea was without any doubt made up of the safest of the safe, the most loyal of the loyal, the most monstrous of the monsters that uphold the pure evil of the
This last Monday FrontPageMag.com published "Newly Discovered Army Reports Discredit 'Winter Soldier' Claims" written by Scott Swett, proprietor of WinterSoldier.com and co-author of "To Set the Recor
From Canada comes a story that should give pause to any thinking voter. The CTV television network reports: (see update below)Barack Obama has ratcheted up his attacks on NAFTA, but a senior member of
First, the good news (we're not the MSM here).The three man Presidential Council has approved the 2008 budget and an amnesty law passed by Parliament. The budget was especially important because it ea
A few days ago, John McCain remarked to reporters that to win the upcoming election, he must convince the American people that the current strategy in Iraq is succeeding.  If he can't do this, he admi
It's very obvious that the New York Times "Plan A" for destroying the candidacy of John McCain didn't work out too well. Rasmussen reports that an astonishing 66% of people following the McCain story
Double Candidates Clinton have each complained of the double standard they perceive in the media's kid gloves treatment of the current frontrunner.  To hear them tell it -- be it a slip, a gaff, or an
The reaction to the death yesterday of Bil Buckley at the age of 82 is not exactly what you might expect. While conservatives are giving Mr. Buckley credit for his huge contributions to the movement a
After suggesting that he would invade our ally Pakistan and talk to our enemy Iran, Barack Obama has moved on to potentially damage our relations with Canada, our friendly neighbor and number one fore
Conclusive tests are being run and the results will be announced in the next few hours, but a package found at a Las Vegas hotel may contain the deadly toxin Ricin:A substance found at a motel may be
This is all the more incredible because it has now been confirmed.At Tuesday night's debate, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama traded charges that the other was not serious about reforming NAFTA -
Two excellent tributes to Bill Buckley - one from George Will who was probably the second most influential conservative columnist during Buckley's lifetime and Peggy Noonan, former Reagan speechwriter
Jodi Kantor of the New York Times had an excellent account of Barack Obama's ties to Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr., just retired as head pastor of Trinity United Community Church. American Thinker has c
Angelina Jolie may be just one more lightweight actor. But how significant is it in her role as UN High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador that she wrote the following in an Op-Ed in today'
No figures out yet for the Republicans but that's because losers rarely release the results of their campaign fund raising until they have to.The long and short of it is this: Obama raised at least $5
Recently, conservative talk show host Bill Cunningham in Cincinnati was raked over the coals for using  Barack Obama's middle name "Hussein" in a rally for John McCain. Even McCain himself publicly ap
It appears that next Tuesday may very well prove to be Hillary Clinton's swan song. The latest Zogby/C-Span/Houston Chronicle Poll shows Senator Barack Obama pulling away in Texas while Ohio appears t
Matt Gonzalez, come on down! You've been chosen as Ralph Nader's running mate!Just who, you might ask, is Matt Gonzalez?Gonzalez, Nader said, is "unwavering in his principles and committed to his poli
After tarring and feathering and discriminating against the Duke lacrosse members  at a critical juncture in their college careers and lives, the Duke Administration has gone to court trying to shut d
The Weekly Standard notes the passing of William Buckley this past week by having 5 excellent writers eulogize the great conservative.William Kristol, Editor in Chief, remembers a man who welcomed the
For a while, the tactic succeeded pretty well. Women had never been used as suicide bombers in Iraq so when they started to show up in crowds, they killed hundreds of people.The military has arrested
Here is my take on the Democratic rhetoric in all of this: did you know there is no pipeline going from west to east in Canada?  Ontario, Quebec and the Maraitime provinces get most of their oil from
Antoin "Tony" Rezko goes on trial next Monday on bribery and extortion charges in a case that promises to reveal several shady characters with ties to Barack Obama:With the corruption trial of one of
The case we reported on yesterday where a case full of the deadly toxin Ricin was found in a Las Vegas hotel room is taking on a surreal quality.Several developments since then show some extraordinary
Reaction to Hilalry Clinton's "nuclear" ad shows that the piece may be backfiring on the candidate.Some in the press have called foul at the ad that shows various children asleep in their bed with a p
One of the most important duties of a president is to name federal judges to the bench. As Barack Obama's candidacy becomes more and more certain, the kinds of judges he will appoint will receive incr
John McCain's straight talk about the possible length of U.S. presence in Iraq opened him up to a distorted quote by Barack Obama.   On January 3, 2008, at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire,
In responding to Hillary Clinton's latest ad, the Obama campaign has once again slipped the name "Hussein" down the memory hole. Specifically Saddam Hussein. Obama's answer to the question as to who i
These days Obama cannot remind us enough that he voted against authorizing force in Iraq and Clinton authorized it. As Tom Maguire joked of Obama's response to Hillary's latest  red- phone- ringing- i
The boys at Powerline, who played a big role in Rathergate, have once again shown 60 Minutes to be a partisan tool. In shocking detail, they have thoroughly debunked the 60 Minutes story last Sunday t
File this one under "Least surprising electoral result in history."Russia blog, which has been liveblogging the Russian presidential election shows that Vladmir Putin's close ally and ventriloquist du
Following the death of a significant rebel leader at the hands of the Colombian military, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has ordered thousands of troops to the border and closed the Venezuelan embas
In response to a rain of Kassam rockets on Israeli towns, the IDF has entered Gaza in force and is cleaning out suspected launch sites as well as punishing Hamas:Israeli aircraft and troops attacked P
The National Intelligence Estimate that claimed Iran stopped their nuclear weapons program in 2003 received another blow to its credibility as the United Nations revealed it has documents from the Ira
Seeking to end the campaign for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, Senator Barack Obama is using his large money advantage to overwhelm the Clinton campaign in a blizzard of advertising and a huge
Much has been made of the amateur hour quality of Obama's foreign policy pronouncements. In the matter of his suggestion that we should meet with our enemies without "pre-conditions" we fortunately ha
Hillary Clinton has been doing a lot of complaining about the glowing coverage Senator Barack Obama has been getting from the media compared to the criticism directed her way by most media outlets. As
Steve Gilbert (a true master of internet research) finds interviews of Obama in 2004, now scrubbed from the Chicago Tribune website and the internet, and discovers Obama was opposed to gay marriage an
Martin Kramer takes on Samantha Power, the important Barack Obama foreign policy advisor, someone with a history of hostility toward Israel. It is a long and worthwhile read.Samantha Power has been on
Undoubtedly thrilled at Jay Rockefeller's endorsement of him in which he referred to Obama as "brilliant", Obama makes a major blunder. He praises Rockefeller for having done his homework and, unlike
Does anyone remember how South Africa was shunned in the era of racial apartheid? It was simply unthinkable that a major university would enter into a deal with such a government. In fact universities
The man who tantalizes the unhappy voter with promises of change may be discovering that this diplomacy stuff is a little more difficult than it looked. After threatening the NAFTA treaty while pander
Still denying there might be a terrorist connection, authorities are searching the Utah home of a man lying in criticial condition in a hospital who stayed in a hotel room where a quantity of the dead
Threats of terrorist actions against Saudi citizens has prompted the government to urge non essential personnel to leave Lebanon in the next 48 hours.The threats are specific and credible:The Saudis h
It's pathetic when you think about it. Hamas has declared "victory" after Israel has pulled its ground troops from Gaza following several days of intensive operations directed against Kassam launch si
After months of mainly being a local story with occasional forays by the national media into the swampy mess of corruption in Illinois politics, the story of Barack Obama's friend of 17 years and majo
Gloria Steinem, considered by many to be the great great grandmother of the feminist movement, is stuck in a time warp of her glory days, now many years behind her.  The world, and her feminist cause,
As Ben-Peter Terpstra says in his article "The First Congresswoman", Rankin's character traits are much preferred over Hillary's phony accomplishments. Ben does however, gloss over her "anti-WW I" vie
Talking with reporters yesterday, Multi-National Force commander, Gen. David Petraeus previewed his generally optimistic assessment of the situation in Iraq.                            A finalized ass
One of the claims of leftist critics of the war and occupation in Iraq is that we have supposedly alienated Iraqis and now Al Qaeda has a strong presence there. The latter claim  is at odds with the r
Some of the most important talk radio outlets in the country face a serious crisis, thanks to a botched buyout of the former ABC/Disney owned stations by Citadel Broadcasting. The Las Vegas-based comp
Sharpe James, former mayor of Newark, NJ, went on trial yesterday for fraud in a federal courthouse. The most colorful item to come out of Assistant US Attorney Phillip Kown's opening statement was th
Once again, Michael Totten ventured into Iraq in order to give us a grunt's eye view of the war as well as some outstanding analysis of what is going on in that still war torn country.His reports are
Today is the last day that New York Times newsroom employees have to accept buyouts or face the possibility of lay-offs. The newsroom is to be downsized by about 100. John Koblin of the New York Obser
American Thinker published an article " Democrats and the anti-Semitism of Hugo Chavez" in late September of 2006. The article pointed out that Jimmy carter certified his "election" back then-though i
Once again, Israel finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Mortar shells and the inaccurate Qassam rockets from Gaza continue to rain down upon nearby Israeli cities such as Sderot and Ashkelon 
It was a very uncomfortable 15 minutes for the candidate.Participating in only his second "avail"(shorthand for "candidate availability" to the press) since Thursday, Barack Obama was deluged with que
Has Hillary Clinton stopped the bleeding?The past week has seen her "3 AM" ad raise questions about Obama's national security credentials while Obama's evident two faced NAFTA policy - telling the Can
Here is an interesting logical exercise. Senator Obama has expressed a willingness to meet with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Cuba...well you get the idea. A President Obama would want to-in modern parl
Senator Barack Obama's most senior military advisor, retired General Merrill McPeak, blames President George Bush for Iran's anti-Americanism. This is a shocking statement by any standard and provides
This may be the silliest, the stupidest measure ever passed by any town in American history.Worse than arresting someone for throwing chewing gum on the sidewalk. Worse than arresting someone for shav
With the prospect of a bloody convention fight now staring Democrats squarely in the face, talk has been revived of making the two front runners ticket mates - regardless of who ends up on top:“That m
Senator John McCain swept all four primaries last night and garnered enough delegates to put him over the top and allow him to clinch the Republican nomination for president:In a sign that his party w
On the heels of Israel's incursion into Gaza to destroy launching sites for Kassam rockets, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice paid a visit to several Middle East capitols trying to jump start the
And the race goes on.Hillary Clinton won 3 of the 4 primaries at stake last night - including the vital Ohio and Texas contests - to extend her campaign another few weeks until at least the Pennsyvani
As it pertains to his position on Iran, will the real Barack Obama please stand up!Thanks to Steve Gilbert at Sweetness & Light , and to Clarice Freeman, for American Thinker readers, for bringing to
As if it weren't bad enough that liberals are always going around finding stuff in the Constitution that isn't there....say, the right to privacy... the left's new golden boy, Saint Barack is positing
Man, you knew this was coming:Flexing their new power to determine the Democratic presidential nomination, a bloc of Ohio superdelegates is withholding endorsements from Barack Obama and Hillary Rodha
Hindsight, with its clear 20-20 vision is always wonderful.  With it that witty unuttered remark springs to mind and is said with devastating effect; the right power play that would have won the champ
On Tuesday night, after securing the Republican presidential nomination with wins in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, John McCain gave one of the best speeches of the primary season so far, by
Charles Hurt thinks so:IF AL GORE can pull himself away from saving the planet long enough, he might want to consider rescuing the Demo cratic Party from the clutches of utter self-destruction. Campai
Samantha Power, Senator Barack Obama's key foreign policy adviser, is traveling through Europe promoting her new book on Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations official killed a few years ago In I
Michelle Cottle at The New Republic has a spot on analysis of the sensitivity of the media towards Obama ever since that hilarious Saturday Night Live skit portraying famous media personalities all at
A small bomb went off in front of the New York City Armed Forces Recruiting Center early this morning blowing out windows and shutting down traffic for several hours:New York City police officers and
Barack Obama's most senior military adviser retired General Merrill McPeak, blames President George Bush for Iran's anti-Americanism. This is a shocking statement by any standards and provides people
A couple of months ago the Washington Post published a vile opinion piece in its religion section titled "Jewish Identity Can't Depend on Violence."  The author was Arun Gandhi, yes the Mahatma's gran
Africa's big game animals frequently reflect human behavior.  Under normal circumstances game animals in parks tend to respect man and his property.  Some years back, a game park manager in Kenya deci
John McCain is the GOP candidate for president. But who will run for Veep? One of the smartest decisions George W. Bush made was choosing Dick Cheney. Contrary to the Cheney image peddled by the hyste
Previously, we reported the suspicious timing of Amgen executives making large donations to Speaker Pelosi's campaign just before she submitted a bill that would likely increase that company's bottom
Barack Obama has pledged work to "rebuild what I consider to be a historic relationship between the African-American community and the Jewish community." (This is something his church and his close fr
The 3 a.m. phone call ad by Hillary has inspired some interesting studies. Rasmussen looks into the subject and finds voters prefer that call be answered by McCain, not Obama or Clinton:42% of all vot
Samantha Power, Barack Obama's top foreign policy advisor, has now compiled quite  record of statements that raise the question of Senator Obama's judgment in choosing her to be his foreign policy maj
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) has been relentless in his mission to "follow the money" that fuels terrorism. In addition to his efforts to focus more scrunity on how U.S. dollars are being used to pay for
The recent rise in oil prices to over $100 a barrell has been fueled largely by speculators, anaylsts say, hoping to hedge against the falling dollar and an unstable world situation - especially in th
Michelle Malkin has a terrific "Special Report" up on her blog today about the increasing number of attacks on military recruitment centers across the country.A sample:Ideas have consequences. Inactio
File this one under "Least Surprising Move in the Middle of a Presidential Campaign."Federal archivists at the Clinton Presidential Library are blocking the release of hundreds of pages of White House
That didn't take long.The trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko which featured opening statements by the prosecution and defense on Thursady, is already living up to its promise to bring the name of Barack Oba
Somehow, I don't think comparing Obama's tactics in the campaign with those of Special Prosecutor Ken Starr will win Hillary Clinton any friends in her rival's camp.Nor will Obama senior foreign polic
Following the Israeli bombing of a military site in Syria (we still have no positive ID of what was at that site), there were many Syrian apologists who scoffed at the notion that North Korea would se
In the past few days the literary world -- or what passes for it in these days of outrageously high  advances to Democratic candidates and flacks for hagiographies and an utter paucity of fact checkin
What happens if, despite leading in the pledged delegate count, Barack Obama fails to gain the Democratic nomination for president?It's a scenario that is becoming more likely after this week's result
The leaders of 4 South American countries who seemed on the verge of war have pulled back from teh abyss and, with a bland apology from Colombia, have resolved the crisis peacefully:The dispute erupte
"I don't know what the word in Arabic is for ‘rathole,' but it does appear that the usefulness for our funding is disappearing," said Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill., adding that Palestinian President Mahmou
The resignation of unpaid foriegn policy advisor Samantha Powers over what the Weekly Standard refers to as "what might have been the most ill-starred book tour since the invention of movable type" is
We all knew the race-gender-homophobe card would be played at some point in this election. Well, it just happened. Mark this date on your calendar: On Sunday, May 8, 2008 the Big Guns of the Left fire
In 1971 the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) held their Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI) during which over one hundred members told often lurid stories of war crimes and atrocities they had w
Last weekend, in an event of enormous importance that garnered surprisingly little media or political coverage, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited Iraq and was warmly embraced by Iraq
Noted genocide expert Samantha Power resigned from her campaign post as an advisor for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.  Power resigned over the controversy created when she described democr
Ha'aretz is reporting that according to Palestinian sources, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezb'allah cooperated in the attack in Jerusalem that killed 8 seminary students:The gunman who murdered eight
There weren't that many delegates at stake in Wyoming but Hillary Clinton made a late effort any way to see if she could keep the momentum going from her victories last Tuesday:She couldn't:Senator Ba
It's easy to read way too much into this result - so of course, the media and Democrats are doing so.A longtime Republican district fell Saturday to the Democrats when a wealthy businessman and scient
Reporter Todd Spivak relates how Barack Obama screamed at him over the phone in 2004, in an article in the Houston Press. He had been assigned to write about Obama for the Springfield based Illinois T
On last night's local news my ABC affiliate WLOS ran a long piece on McCain that consisted entirely of what they called bloopers from the past week. This included    1) McCain's tongued tied moment wh
I'm writing in reference to James Lewis' piece on global warming epicycles.First, I will say that it's very well done; it's well-written and I could not agree with its thesis more.  However, I must ta
Ed Morrissey:During Mass, Catholics will ask for forgiveness for their sins, for “what I have done, and what I have failed to do.” We call these sins of commission and sins of omission. Until today, I
In his press briefing yesterday, Multi-National Force Iraq spokesman Rear Adm. Greg Smith made it very clear that Iran continues to train people for terrorist operations within Iraq.  RDML SMITH:  The
The two parties who are forming a coalition government in Pakistan have agreed to reinstate the Supreme Court judges that President Musharraf removed more than 4 months ago and placed under house arre
Race baiting preacher Al Sharpton is threatening a lawsuit if the Democratic party seats Florida's delegates at the convention based on the primary held last January:Laying the groundwork for a court
One of the cruelest and most telling barbarities of Hamas is its use of civilians (especially children) as human shields, deliberately firing weapons from densely populated locations, so that counters
Carbon offsets got ya down? Worried about how we're going to reduce emissions to levels mandated by the Kyoto accords?No worries. According to this study, we'd have to take society back to the 19th ce
There are few countries on earth where a government could get away with this:Thousands of pet cats in Beijing are being abandoned by their owners and sent to die in secretive government pounds as Chin
Muqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand anti-American Shia cleric whose Mahdi Militia has fought the US military almost constantly since the occupation began has up and gone missing.Or at least faded into the
Two seperate suicide bombers took a heavy toll on US servicemen in Iraq, pointing up the continuing danger of al-Qaeda in some parts of the country.One of the bombs that killed 5 soldiers was detonate
This has al-Qaeda written all over it:Massive suicide bombs ripped through a seven-story police headquarters and a house on Tuesday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 200 others in att
Eliot Spitzer's sordid saga is quickly unfolding into a classic lesson on the perils of hypocritical self-righteousness.  But it also teaches the importance of the often underrated choice a leader mak
Eliot Spitzer's troubles offer an interesting unfolding case study in the way the media handles an embarrassment by a prominent Democrat. Clay Waters of Timeswatch monitored how the Gray Lady dithered
A study produced by a federally-funded think tank, the Institute for Defense Analyses, under contract to the Norfolk, Va.-based U.S. Joint Forces Command that examined 600,000 pages of Iraqi governmen
This is an inspiring story. Senior citizens across the country are cutting out coupons and sending them to military families based overseas so that they can redeem them at the military commissaries on
Prosecutor Patterico thinks quite a bit:According to this abcnews story, Spitzer’s involvement with this ring was not uncovered by virtue of some happenstance over-hear on a wiretap involving a prosti
I believe that the theory of man made global warming has it genesis in Thomas Malthus and his predecessors and successors like Paul Erlich. What these folks are really looking for is a replacement for
No surprise although one wonders what went on behind the scenes that brought this about:Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday that he is resigning, completing a spectacular fall from power for a poli
The major news media are covering the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal in increasing detail.  But a few items from the original court complaint are worth highlighting:First, the complaint (at para.
David Mamet is one of America's finest playwrights, film directors, and screenwriters. He has also been a doctrinaire liberal all his life.Therefore, it was something of a shock to read this revelator
The BBC shows that faking news stories isn't only confined to American and French news networks:On Friday, March 7, 2008, the BBC’s World News with Jonathan Charles (seen in the U.S. on PBS stations a
Florida Democrats thought they had a plan that would allow for a mail in primary thus making it possible for their delegates to be seated at the convention in August.Alas, the Obama campaign never got
If there was any doubt about who calls the shots for Hezb'allah, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made it clear for all to see:Diplomatic sources close to Tehran on Wednesday quoted Iranian Presi
Barack Obama’s victory in Mississippi was no surprise. But in a very large way, both last Saturday’s win for Obama in the Wyoming caucuses and tonights win in the Magnolia state’s primary are insignif
This is speculative. But I'll bet something like it is going on in those smoke-filled rooms the Democrats keep just for these occasions. Here's the problem if you're Hillary and Bill. You're going to
Lost: One Super Delegate from the Hillary Clinton camp.  Disgraced and humiliated Governor Eliot Spitzer is certain to be a casualty here -- the exposure of Spitzer's predilection for pricey whores is
There is a certain type of business promoter who solicits money from wealthy overseas private investors, and proves his bona fides and influence in America by displaying access to powerful politicians
Another primary in Michigan, run by the state but financed by the state party, may be in the offing according to party sources:As negotiators continued to work Wednesday on developing an acceptable pl
A day after Israel and Hamas agreed to an "unofficial truce,"  a barrage of 15 rockets targeted the western Negev:At least 15 Kassam rockets slammed into the western Negev early Thursday morning, shat
The State Dept. is in a hole and can't stop digging. Last week's ‘Question of the Week' on the State Department blog asked: Should the U.S. engage Hamas as part of its efforts to bring about peace bet
Yesterday, I highlighted David Mamet's brilliant essay on why he is no longer a liberal. Oakland resident Kenneth J. Theisen an organizer with the "World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime" group r
A significant surge in public support for the war in Iraq threatens to upend expectations for the November election from president on down.According to late February polling conducted by the Pew Resea
In an extraordinary video recording of Barack Obama's pastor - leader of a church that the candidate says he consciously chose after a long search - the Reverend Jeremiah Wright lets loose with some o
US Attorney Michael Garcia is denying that any deal exists between his office and the Spitzer camp regarding the governor's resignation in exchange for not being charged with a serious crime. With tha
When I was a child, a great American gave a speech which transformed the country and left an indelible impression on my soul. Today I think of the dream then and the dream now. Now is the time to lift
As the media begins to examine Barack Obama's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ (UCC), Obama will distance himself from Wright's virulent racism. That exercis
Don't miss this excellent article to the effect that Spitzer's big crimes were professional and his personal failings merely an extension of his sociopathic behavior in office:But Spitzer's profession
Take a deep breath folks. The next few months are liable to get very bumpy and very wild:Gold has topped $1,000 an ounce, trading at a historic high of $1,000.25 yesterday morning on weak retail sales
A few days ago, I blogged about the leaked conclusions of a report that purportedly debunked any claims that Saddam and al-Qaeda worked together. At the time, I wrote:It should be interesting to read
I don't know if this revelation will hurt Obama or not. It may just be a one day scandal. Nevertheless, one of Obama's Earmarks was requested for the Hospital That Employs Michelle Obama.Dan Riehl not
Dr. Jeremiah Wright Jr. has been saying things like "God damn America" for a couple of decades to a congregation that has grown to the thousands, and his sermons only go out via webcast, podcast, tele
Top commander in Iraq General David Petreaus is dissatisfied with the progress being made by the Iraqi government toward reconciliation:Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in vi
Sixty three years after the Holocaust, my mother, who is an eighty-year-old survivor does not know under what circumstances her parents, 2 brothers, and sister died. For my father, any information now
The American left likes to throw around the terms "imperialism" and "hegemony" to describe our nation and its policies.  The AT Blog yesterday quoted Kenneth J. Theisen's anti-military OP-ED piece in
Neither the VVAW or the IVAW, discussed yesterday by Kyle-Anne Shiver, are the original Winter Soldiers. That honor goes to those who stood by George Washington through the winter of 1776-77.There is
Barack Obama, the uniter across party lines, across religions, across racial divides, wasn't always Mr. Sunshine.   He had a different view 12 years ago, when his campaign was more localized.He was 34
This is a quiz.Question 1Imagine that person A  hears person B give sermons which are filled with hatred for the U.S.A., include an exhortation to sing "God Damn American" rather than "God Bless Ameri
Reviewing  Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life In Letters, 684 pages, photos, Index, illustrations.  Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower, Charles Foley editors, The Penguin Press, New York , 2007.Over the course
The reform of the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act that would expand the government's ability to record some kinds of communications passed the House yesterday and headed to the White House w
The behind the scene machinations of the national party and the respective campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are reaching a fever pitch as Michigan is moving toward a June primary while Fl
First, it was $60,000. Then the press discovered it was closer to $150,000. Now Obama himself admits that indicted Chicago fixer Tony Rezko raised $250,000 over the years for his campaigns:Trying to p
Buddhist monks and Tibetan nationals battled police and burned cars and shops as the worst violence to break out in that occupied country since the late 1980's threatened to throw a monkey wrench into
Barack Obama returned to his day job, Democratic senator from Illinois, for awhile Thursday practicing the same old, trying to send a cool million dollars to his wife's employer, and goodies to suppor
Initial news stories about the Joint Forces Command Report on the Saddam-Al Qaeda link featured headlines and gloating passage that no such link existed.  The actual report, "Saddam & terrorism: Emerg
Today's New York Times carries a puff piece on Robert Malley, a figure of some controversy because of his involvement in the Barack Obama campaign and for his views that are considered by many (with g
Iowa Democrats convened their county conventions yesterday and thanks to the withdrawal of John Edwards, Barack Obama picked up 9 of the 14 delegates at stake:Iowa Democratic Party officials said that
Barack Obama showed very poor judgment when he accepted $250,000 of campaign funds from slumlord Tony Resko (now on trial), who was Obama's first substantial contributor in Obama's meteoric political
Barack Obama seems to have the power to make women, even liberal feminists, swoon, as Kyle-Anne Shiver's recent article delightfully discussed. But she betrays her youth. For old-timers like me, there
While his Democratic rivals clobber each other back home, John McCain is in Iraq getting a feel for the situation on the ground and talking with military and diplomatic leaders about the future:McCain
Former Enron Chief Skilling's is making a very explosive charge, apparently with evidentiary warrant, that the prosecution in Enron improperly withheld exculpatory evidence in its possession:The stenc
The New York Times today carries the news that, "The New York Times Company has struck a deal with a pair of hedge funds that want to shake up the company, giving the funds two seats on the board in o
A poll conducted by several western news agencies and polling groups surveyed more than 2200 Iraiqs and found a considerable improvement in their outlook compared to a similar poll taken last August:I
Well, so much for the "politics of hope and change:"Sen. Barack Obama is trying to air his dirty laundry -- even some items that might appear just a little wrinkled -- as he prepares a full assault on
The prospect of some kind of revote in Florida has hit another snag as it appears the idea for a mail in primary is dead:As the Florida Democratic Party gets ready to decide Monday whether to pull the
I suppose we shouldn't have expected an apology but the virulence with which Reverend Jeremiah Wright's old church goes after the media for reporting the truth of Wright's sermons is a little startlin
Now that the Obama balloon is leaking, as Mr. Sunshine and Hope faces awkward questions about the pastor to whom he has offered devotion for two decades, major media figures are beginning to notice th
Obama's statement that Reverrend Jeremiah Wright's harangues against America and whites were "not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in priv
Once again, genealogy sleuths have in investigated the Irish ancestry of the leading candidates for president and discovered that two out of three have Irish roots. From the Dallas Morning News:Democr
Over the weekend, the Federal Reserve opened a $30 billion line of credit for the purchase of troubled investment bank Bear Sterns and promised an open ended lending program for the biggest investment
If in their close twenty year association Obama was not able to move Rev. Wright off his divisive hatred and correct his many historical errors, why are we to suppose he could unite a nation, millions
Rick Moran:Shorter obama - "We're ALL victims."Update: Barack Obama gave a powerful and uplifting speech in Philadelphia today, the immediate purpose of which  was to put behind him the issues raised
Florida Democrats have given up all hope of holding another nominating contest that would allow them representation at the Convention in August:The Florida Democratic Party chairwoman on Monday offici
If you haven't yet read Tom Lifson's excellent piece on what Barack Obama will probably say today to address the crisis in his campaign caused by remarks made by his friend, mentor, and pastor Jeremia
The top 100 political donors of the 2008 election cycle are listed in OpenSecrets.org .  First, note how few of these big donors lean Republican: only 12 of the top 100.  And the higher up the list (t
New York's new governor David Paterson has admitted he carried on extramarital affairs during a rocky period in his marriage.His wife also admitted to dalliances in an interview with the press given w
The most important 2nd Amendment case to make it to the Supreme Court in many years will be heard today as the Justices will be forced to address at least some gun control and gun rights issues:DOES T
Judith A. Klinghofer cites a passage from Barack Obama's first autobiography to remember when listening to his speech today:On p. 94-95 he describes an effective tactic to deal with White people:It wa
Violence that began last week in Tibet's capitol city of Lhasa has spread to neighboring provinces as sympathy demonstrations broke out in Sichuan and cities as far away as Beijing.Meanwhile, the Dali
While Secretary of State Rice and her State Department and President Bush babble happily about Israeli-Arab "peace talks" according to "road maps" which will lead to "two states living side by side in
The Sun-Sentinel reports that the Palm Beach County School Board is being sued by the ACLU (on behalf of parents and students, of course) for "failing to provide students with a high-quality education
Kyle-Anne Shiver has some very personal reflections on the Obama speech. Our frequent contributor now her own blog, Common Sense Regained, up and running, and it features her latest essay,  Reflection
The Pakistani parliament has been seated and their first order of business was the election of a female speaker - a first in Pakistan's history:"Dr. Fehmida Mirza has received 249 votes," incumbent Ch
Did they do nothing except partake in illicit sexual trysts in the Spitzer Administration?It now appears that new governor David Paterson was a little less than completely candid when he said his extr
Unless some miracle formula can be found in the next few days, it appears that revote primaries in both Michigan and Florida will not happen.It is still a possibility that some Florida delegates will
The Democrats say he did. So does the Washington Post which, we all know, is basically the same thing:Sen. John McCain, in the midst of a trip to the Middle East that he hoped would help burnish his f
“I said that dirty word again, Israel.” This was one of the many disparaging remarks Obama’s pastor Jeremiah Wright made about Israel. According to Wright, Israel is occupying Arab land and has no rig
Several court watchers believe that the Heller case which challenges the Washington, D.C. gun ban will make history:A majority of the Supreme Court appeared ready on Tuesday to embrace, for the first
Bararck Obama's speech in Philadelphia sought to quell the uproar over the "controversial" comments (and ideology) of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr. by placing such feelings in the context of a history o
Noel Sheppard of Newsbusters thinks Barack Obama blew his big chance with yesterday's speech, justifying instead of rejecting his Pastor's hateful rhetoric, and offers an example of what the candidate
On Tuesday, CNN fully lived up to its reputation as left of center, on a day when Sen. Barack Obama was desperately trying to put the Rev. Jeremiah Wright scandal behind him. In particular, the cable
Science Fiction writer extraordinaire Sir Arthur C. Clarke died Tuesday at the age of 90.  The great majority who’ll recognize his name only as the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey were unfortunately d
Barack Obama adjusts his vocal intonations to fit his audience.  It makes us wonder, "what does his authentic voice sound like?"  Like all of us, he only gets one true voice.Hillary Clinton was justly
The headlines of the article written by Fox Butterfield that appeared in the February 6, 1990 issue of the New York Times read "First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review."  Here are some excerp
Hundreds of Chinese troops fanned out over the Tibetan capitol of Llahsa in a show of force designed to intimidate demonstrators who have been protesting the Chinese occupation:Government officials ac
Britain's Gurkha soldiers, renowned for their bravery and strength, are being paid far lower pensions than their fellow soldiers of British citizenship, even when they manage to obtain residency in th
The daily Rasmussen poll out today shows John McCain upping his national lead over Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama significantly:The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday sh
A disturbing pattern of double lives emerges in the Barack Obama camp. He tells us we must transcend race, yet he takes his daughters to hear the rants of Pastor Jeremiah Wright and repeatedly honors
Every time I read something like this, I want to reach out across the Atlantic Ocean and grab some stupid European lefitst and shake some sense into him:Growing hostility in Europe towards the US coul
I am sure that there is some importance attached to the release of 18,000 pages of Hillary's schedule while she was First Lady. For the life of me, I can't see it.Do we really need to know where Hilla
There is a new audio tape purportedly from a living Osama Bin Laden that was issued yesterday, the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq. But several commenters, including Rusty over at Jawa Report and A
Pastor Jeremiah Wright insulted, in a vile, sexist and racist manner, the Secretary of State. From ABC News’ The Blotter:In April 2003, Rev. Wright told his congregation that "the United States govern
The day after an Arab gunman infiltrated the Mercaz Yeshiva in Jerusalem, murdered eight students and wounded eleven, the front page of the Chicago Tribune showed a mother prostrate in grief. The moth
Bookworm performs a thought experiment: what if we agree with Pastor Wright's diagnosis of America as irredeemably racist? What then do blacks want? A sample:[As for] the same laws that Obama continue
The United Nations says it needs more money - lots more.Citing increased demands placed on its peace keeping and nation building departments, the diplomats say they need $1.1 billion more:Much of the
Blogger Tim Blumer did the work the MSM wouldn't, and examined the back issues of the Trinity United Church of Christ's Bulletin. One issue carried on the "Pastor's Page"  a pro-Hamas editorial by Mou
The highly respected Pew Research Cemter has published a new poll showing that Democrats own a decided advantage in party identification and that the gap between Democrats and Republicans in some swin
Ed Morrissey of Hot Air points us to this incredible story of a domesteic terrorist released from prison after serving only 6 years of a 12 year sentence. Kathleen Soliah, a former member of the radic
This is such a disturbing story on a couple of levels that we have to be careful before all the facts are in before we start assessing blame.Evidently, the hugely successful strategy of employing Sunn
This isn't a huge surprise to campaign observers who saw Richardson's foreign policy stance much closer to Obama than Hillary. But when you consider that Governor Bill Richardson, who came out in supp
Two employees under contract to the State Department have been let go and another disciplined for violating the privacy of Senator Barack Obama and snooping in his passport files:Senior department off
The Washington Times is reporting that authorities are zeroing in on one of the contract employees who viewed both Obama's and McCain's passport records - a man who works for a company headed up by an
Must be nice to have your very own newspaper if you're a government. You can use the organ to call on the government to commit all sorts of unspeakable acts and pretend it's the "will of the people."I
The latest news from the Rasmussen Tracking Poll  is very encouraging for McCain. Obama's favorable-unfavorable is 46 to 51, its all time low, demonstrating no ability yet to stanch the bleeding.  No
This is an interesting poll published by the World Public Opinion.org group. It highlights the question that has been debated in America since the Constitution became law; are we a democracy? Or a rep
It will be hard to spin this news as anything except a disaster for American policy:Faced with a sharp escalation of suicide bombings in urban areas, the leaders of Pakistan’s new coalition government
The Democratic Party continues to lurch toward a tragic denouement in Denver for its nomination process, with various factions playing our their roles as prescribed by hubris. If you liked the drama o
First there was Jeremiah Wright. Is Emil Jones next?The press had a field day with Obama's religious mentor and friend. But the story behind Obama's political mentor also contains some disturbing elem
This is like some kind of PC nightmare dreamed up by diversity fanatics who were given permission to experiment at the student's expense:Recently I sat down with a young woman who shared with me the e
Suicide bombers, rockets fired into the Green Zone, gunmen spraying automatic weapons fire at civilians, truck bombs - Iraq exploded in violence in the last 24 hours as Shia extremists, al-Qaeda terro
The Washington Post's ombudsman has a meandering, puzzling piece on the paper's coverage of the Wright matter, which begins with an acknowledgment that the paper only covered Wright's outrageous state
Voters in Taiwan slapped down the pro-independence movement and elected a realist who pledged to work with China to open new markets and integrate the island nation into a "common economic market" wit
The domain registry of Dutch politician Gert Wilders, who is set to release a new movie critical of Islam, Fitna, has been frozen, in effect silencing an internet voice and stifling his ability to get
There has been much back and forth in the media in the days since Obama gave his speech, but I had to wait for the opinion that matters to me:Charles Krauthammer's physical impairment's lend him a rat
This isn't very surprising given all politicians like to make it appear that they play a bigger role in events than they actually do. But this is just outrageous and goes way too far:After weeks of ar
In case you were thinking of sitting  through 4 1/2 hours of Frontline's documentary "Bush's War," forget about it. Columnist Jules Crittenden assures us that not only is the documentary not about Bus
Web hosting company Network Solutions has suspeneded the website for Geert Wilder's anti-Muslim film Fitna, citing possible violations of their Terms of Service:After Pakistan disrupted YouTube worldw
It's spring in Afghanistan and time for the annual Taliban offensive. In truth, it never amounts to much - or at least it didn't in the past because allied forces would intercept the groups of 50-100
Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago is one of the city's landmarks and a place where Catholics have come to worship since the Chicago fire in 1871. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago - the larges
In an effort to head off suits from angry shareholders, JP Morgan is raising its bid for the belaugured investment house Bear Stearns by a factor of 5:The sweetened offer is intended to win over stock
Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama engages in more obfuscation to bolster his sinking poll numbers. Stung by the Jeremiah Wright sermon tapes, Obama spins a new story to try to regain suppor
It looks as though Trinity United Church of Christ signed up for President Bush's Faith-based Community Initiatives Program. From the HHS website:Under its Minority Community Health Coalition Demonstr
Americans apparently have to look to Australia for truthful accounts of climate research conducted by our own space agency.   Christopher Pearson' March 22 article in THE AUSTRALIAN concerns an interv
With its consistent left of center bias, CNN is usually worthy of criticism, and writing in American Thinker I have taken my shots at the network, last year here and last week here for its fawning cov
The deadline to change party affiliation in order to vote in the April 22 Democratic primary was yesterday and county registrars across the state were inundated with last minute Republicans and indepe
I can remember writing last fall that many economists felt that the housing market would begin to rebound after the first of the year.Judging by this report, we still have a long way to go:The decline
Two demonstrators were arrested at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece:Two protesters ran onto the field at Ancient Olympia while Liu Qi, president of the Games' organising committee, was gi
A bipartisan consensus on Iraq has seemed unattainable for several years now.  Miraculously,  the American Enterprise Institute's surge planner, Fred Kagan may have just done it with the presentation 
In a further sign that President Musharraf's days in office are probably numbered, the Pakistani Prime Minister has released the judges Musharraf detained in order to keep them from ruling his re-elec
Fresh from her non involvement in the Irish peace process, several months later Hillary pressed bravely on to Bosnia in Central Europe in spite of the danger.“I certainly do remember that trip to Bosn
Earlier in the year, American Thinker published an article "Barack Obama and Israel"  which wondered why Barack Obama seemingly had a proclivity to tie himself to people who have very problematic atti
The national organization, Vets for Freedom, is currently sponsoring a Heroes Tour of American cities that will end in Washington, D.C. on April 8 to coincide with General Petraeus' testimony before C
The Thomas More Law Center has issued an extremely troubling release suggesting former SecDef Rumsfeld was involved in politically influencing the Haditha investigation:Revelations by top Marine Gener
The man responsible for the bloodiest terrorist bombing of the Palestinian uprising that killed 30 Israelis enjoying a passover meal in a hotel in Netanya in 2002, was captured yesterday by Israeli so
This is not really news but its fun to tweak the Democrats with it:Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a socialist and fierce U.S. critic, warned on Tuesday that relations with Washington could worsen i
In what has to be seen as good news for John McCain, a Gallup poll shows that if Obama wins the Democratic nomination, 28% of Hillary supporters will vote for McCain in the general election while 19%
Moderate Democratic Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen has come up with what sounds like a great idea; hold a convention of Democratic party Superdelegates in June and have them vote for either Clint
It's better that I'm not near a television this week.  I didn't have to witness the talking news heads somberly remind us that the Killed-In-Action count in Iraq has rolled 4,000, and how the war ther
It would seem  the Democrat frontrunners have forgotten about how easy it is to expose liars. Obama has had to admit he did know about Rev. Crazypants Wright's unusual take on the doctrine of Christia
Basra is the flashpoint for an effort by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to get control of the vital southern city and clean out the militias who have infested it.The fact that he appears to be targeti
French President Nicholas Sarkozy is the first world leader to publicly suggest that he would boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games if China doesn't moderate its actions taken against Ti
Bruce Walker's "The Religion of Eternal Sexism and Eternal Racism" states well something that has always puzzled me. I spent most of my teaching career in a left-leaning academic environment where I o
A big part of the Barack Obama philosophy is to bring more money into poor neighborhoods by a variation of a well established Cook County Illinois policy, which I will call Robin Hood Populism. It is
The American left continues to form a circular firing squad, and now a divisive personal fight has broken out in the labor union on which Democrats have pinned so many hopes for future growth and fund
A 66 pound stash of uranium belonging to the narco-terrorist group FARC has been captured by the Colombian military. Information on the stash was found on a computer hard drive captured after a raid b
Thanks to the release of Barack Obama's income tax records, we are finally able to get some necessary perspective on the big favor Tony Rezko did for the Obamas in buying what has been termed in the p
When it comes to the Constitution and guns, even those who do not own a firearm come down on the side of a broad interpretation of the 2nd Amendment:The often fierce debate over the Second Amendment h
Fearing the new Pakistani government will severely curtail US military activities on the border with Afghanistan where Predator drones have attacked several targets within Pakistan recently, the milit
Following a lengthy Freedom of Information quest, NRO's Stanley Kurtz lists foreign countries' contributions to  U.S. college and universities. As you can see topping Saudi Arabia's list are two major
In a funny aside to Hill's Bosnia fantasy, the Washington Post says Clinton shouldn't have relied on one of its articles about travel by First Ladies because the information was factually incorrect:Th
The Iraqi government continued its crackdown on extremists in Basra as the Iraqi Army is proving itself to be if not extremely competent, at least eager for battle:Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morre
If we can't accuse them of being unpatriotic, can we at least accuse some Democrats of being monumentally dense?Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. law
A new Wall Street Journal-NBC poll shows that Barack Obama has escaped serious damage as a result of his association with racist preacher Jeremiah Wright.In fact, the poll shows little change from a p
Was the baptism of Italian journalist Magdi Allam by Pope Benedict XVI at the Easter Vigil mass in the Vatican on last Saturday evening just one part of a trend?  An NRO article Islam's ‘Public Enemy
After first reducing the charges against him, the government has dropped all charges against  Marine Lance Corporal Tatum:Tatum had been accused of shooting dead two unarmed children as Marines cleare
Undoubtedly hoping to tie Hillary in the fabulist category, Obama tells a whopper of his own and Tom Maguire captures it in amber (well online, anyway):Can someone help me with what looks like the lat
Dave Marash is not exactly Tokyo Rose, but one wonders at the portion of common sense doled out to him at his birth.Marash became the American face for the American version of Al-Jazeera - the notorio
Fitna, the film short that Islamists and their western cheer-leaders worked so hard to hide, is now playing. Catch it while you can.  While not quite a fountain of revelation, especially to AT readers
Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean says in an interview this morning on CBS that he has told the candidates that he wants to see the race over by July 1.:DEAN: “Well, I think the candidates have go
I've never seen anything like the reporting both on blogs and in the MSM about what is happening in Iraq. I am absolutely dizzy from the spin. After years of complaining about the influence of the mil
The practiced ease with which Obama glibly tells untruths is becoming more noticeable as the campaign rolls along.This latest was in an interview scheduled to be aired today on the popular daytime sho
Preaching hatred and bigotry while opposing middle classness has been very, very good for Senator Barack Obama's (D-IL) controversial  preacher and mentor, Rev Jeremiah Wright Jr:A two-week FOX News i
The newspaper industry's attempt to put lipstick on a pig is sad. The pig is till a pig and the industry is collapsing before our eyes. Perhaps you've read the recent Editor & Publisher article entitl
Barack Obama's supporters are quick to level the cherry-picking charge in any discussion of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's video vitriol, claiming that Obama's critics are selectively condemning the pasto
This new book by Lawrence Solomon who wrote a series of articles in Canada's NATIONAL POST about eminent "deniers" of Climate Alarmism has discovered there were so many such individuals he had to writ
Will they ever learn?Another anti-war movie is tanking at the box office. Overnights for Friday show the film "Stop Loss" garnering an anemic $1.4 million for a projected $4 million opening weekend. T
I've been in the middle of an online discussion with a younger Spanish friend in which I backhanded his suggestion that America should care  (and defer ) more to what he called our  "European allies".
I consider Rasmussen the go-to-polling organization for following election trends. Their samples are consistent from one poll to the next, and they use four day rolling averages to smooth out the nois
Despite being reinforced by 5 battalions, the Iraqi army is having a hard time dislodging Mehdi Army units from neighborhoods they control in Basra.Information gathering on both the Basra offensive an
As a followup to Andrew Walden's excellent piece in today's AT, here's some disturbing news about the internet video site Liveleak and actions they felt compelled to take after hosting the film for ju
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has become the first world leader to announce that she will boycott the Olympics in China.Her actions follow a promised boycott of the opening and closing ceremonies
My jaw dropped when I read  the latest example of strange political bedfellowship. Hillary Clinton received a big wet kiss from Richard Mellon Scaife, erstwhile leader of the vast right wing conspirac
Yeah, and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime:Zimbabwe is holding a presidential election and 84 year old Robert Mugabe is seeking a mandate from the people to continue his quest to invent
When I think about this guy, Jeremiah Wright, and the so-called sermons he has preached, I wonder why anyone would refer to him as "Reverend." The dictionary defines reverence as honor or respect felt
Hugo Chavez (and many on the left in this country who defend him) has denied in the past that he gives any support to the Colombian FARC rebels.But computer files captured by the Colombian government
Clad in  dashiki clerical vestments, Senator Barack Obama's  (D-IL) pastor and mentor screamed about the evil of white folks and middle classness while promoting a black centered theology, all to the
Amid several ethics investigations, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Afonso Jackson has resigned effective April 18:Earlier this month, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-
The Supreme Court refused to intervene in a case involving a Congressmen indicted for bribery whose offices were illegally searched by the FBI according to a lower court ruling:The court declined to r
Alan Fraser writes: Recently AT featured a blog piece that attempted to explain why the recent rash of anti-Iraq War may be bombing at the box office.  A Washington Post article was cited as explainin
The results from Zimbabwe's election were supposed to be announced yesterday. But surprise, surprise! It appears that after initial results showing the opposition far ahead, the most recent tally has
Barack Obama contradicts himself, trying to minimize his relationship to Pastor Wright. On The View: I feel badly that he has been characterized in just this one way. But he was my pastor. I think peo
There's no other way to put this. It is extremely bad news:Iranian officials helped broker a cease-fire agreement Sunday between Iraq's government and radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, according
More easy lies by the candidate of "change."In his first run for state senate, Obama released a voter survey that detailed his liberal stands on issues like gun control and abortion among others. When
They say that fish are not aware of water because it is all they ever know. The same with long time Clinton sycophants.Jonathan Alter, in a Newsweek piece that faults Hillary Clinton for fibbing, empl
It has been sixty years since 850,000 Jews were victims of "ethnic cleansing" in 10 Arab lands, where some Jewish communities had existed for 2,500 years. The number of Jewish refugees expelled from A
Currently President Bush is in Kyiv talking to Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko about The Ukraine's chances of being admitted to NATO and the EU.  While Georgia and Ukraine may not be quite ready
Rasmussen has numbers today that must be making the McCain camp very happpy.   Looking ahead to the General Election, John McCain is leading Barack Obama 47% to 41%. He leads Hillary Clinton 48% to 41
A new poll out today from Survey USA shows Barack Obama making significant gains in his race with Hillary Clinton in advance of the April 22 primary.It's hard to say whether Hillary's delusions about
If it were up to the people of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe would be on his way out of office. The election held last Saturday unofficially shows the tyrant being slaughtered by Morgan Tsvangirai's Movemen
My friend Allison who lives in Israel tipped me to this bit of New York Times idiocy - a headline that would almost be amusing in any other context."In Gaza, Hamas's Insults to Jews Complicates Peace"
Politics and morality, sometimes makes for strange bedfellows.  And I just came up with the most unlikely example; the first female Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).  I commend her for u
In today's Wall Street Journal, columnist Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., argues  that "the most efficient and equitable" solution to the "subprime mortgage crisis" would be for the federal government to use
The Associated Press is reporting that former 9/11 Commission Co-Chairman Lee Hamilton is ready to endorse Barack Obama for President over Hillary Clinton. Hamilton, who served as a U.S. Representativ
Federal Reserve Chairman Bernard Bernanke in remarks before the Joint Economic Committee, said that a recession is "possible:"Bernanke's testimony the Joint Economic Committee of Congress was a more p
Ted Turner is a walking, talking example of the adage that just because you make a lot of money doesn't mean you're smart.In Turner's case, the howlers he has uttered over the years have been extraord
A Jamaican national has been charged with attempting to carry an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft at the Orlando airport. He was arrested after authorities noticed he was "acting suspicio
The Justice Department has declassified one of the foundation documents for our legal strategy in the War on Terror.:The Justice Department late Tuesday released a declassified 2003 memorandum long so
As I thought about Senator Obama's seemingly off-the-cuff comment Saturday advocating on-demand "convenience abortions" for minors, I realized that this was part of a larger strategy to carve supporte
The Institute for Defense Analysis study of the captured Iraqi documents isinsufficient, argues Laurie Mylroie:Those who support Operation Iraqi Freedom have welcomed the recently released study on Sa
According to this Daniel Calabrese article, Hillary Clinton was fired from her job as a staff attorney for the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate investigations for, among other things, ly
Barack Obama rarely talks of abortion rights as other Democrats do. Such a divisive issue does not fit in to his "post partisan" personae.But the recent endorsement of Obama by Senator Bob Casey - son
The web site Sadly, No commented on my article "Typical White Fact-Based Reasoning" in a piece called Fun with Figures as follows.  The sadly-mistitled [sic] website The American Thinker is where the
Last July, Newsweek's Michael Hirsh lamented the apparent collapse of John McCain's candidacy as illustrative of the "sad fact of political life in Washington" that Americans don't want former militar
Even though the opposition MDC party has captured a majority in parliament based on election results from the weekend, something very strange is happening to the count for president.No results have be
I'm sure all of Hillary's earmarks went to a good cause. I'm sure they can easily be justified as prudent and necessary spending. I'm sure there isn't a single earmark in there that's politically moti
Take a look at this map that Absolut Vodka is using in its latest campaign in Mexico and the US:Now I have an open mind about a lot of things. But somehow, giving California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colo
It may have been Jane Fonda's most difficult decision. Who do I impart the kiss of death to by endorsing them for president? Jane Fonda, the actress and ardent anti-Vietnam War advocate who visited No
New polls out for the Pennsylvania primary are nothing but bad news for Hillary Clinton.At one point last month, Clinton enjoyed a 19 point lead in some polls. But a survey out yesterday from Public P
According to Ha'aretz, Israel and the United States will work together on seeking a compromise with organizers on whether to boycott the United Nations Conference on Racism known as Durban II to be he
A new New York Times/CBS poll shows an astonishing 81% of Americans believe the country is "on the wrong track." It is the highest number ever recorded for that question since it first was asked in th
Robert Mugabe's rule of Zimbabwe has been marked by corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, and criminality on a scale few nations - even in Africa - have had to endure.But despite his probable loss
An Obama adviser calls for 60-80,000 US troops to stay in Iraq, in a confidential memorandum obtained by Eli Lake of the New York Sun. Lake writes:A key adviser to Senator Obama's campaign is recommen
Could You Picture a Presidential Candidate With Two Sons in Iraq? I knew one of McCain's sons had served in Iraq recently. The Hill suggests that by fall, two of McCain's sons may be serving there. Go
The unemployment report out today gives more evidence that the economy is probably headed toward a recession.The BLS says the economy lost 80.000 jobs last month - the third monthly decline in a row:T
A few weeks ago when Geraldine Ferraro was dumped from the Clinton campaign for speaking the simple, recognized truth by anyone except completely brain-dead Liberals, that Obama would not be where he
The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is a quagmire. It is a civil war. It is fratricidal. It is an act of hara-kiri. It is a murder-suicide. No matter which of its two remaining candida
In the 1930's, Josef Stalin unleashed a man made famine on the peoples of the Ukraine. Red soldiers siezed the harvest from Kulaks - peasant who owned their own land. Stalin's goal was to starve the U
Apparently, Hillary Clinton's nose is growing longer by the day. Here's the latest from the imagination of the former First Lady.Clinton has been eliciting tears and anger with her story about a pregn
Despite claims by the opposition MDC party that they have won an outright victory over Robert Mugabe with no need for a runoff, the tyrant continues to make preparations for a do-over where he will al
Perhaps gunning down unarmed monks can be added as an Olympic sport. The Chinese, so concerned about the games later in the summer, could solve their "image problem" by simply including the practice i
No, it's not a misprint. Officials with the ZANU-PF party of Robert Mugabe have called for the electoral commission to look into "errors and miscalculations" in the vote for President held last weeken
US Commander in Iraq General David Petreaus is expected to tell Congress this week that military intelligence has placed Iranian personnel in Basra helping the Shia militias fight the Iraqi army.Petre
Some years ago three former Latin American leftists wrote a classic book, Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot, in which they detailed the cultural factors and idiotic thinking on politics and ec
Actor and conservative political advocate Charlton Heston died yesterday at the age of 83. A former president of the National Rifle Association, Heston's political advocacy stirred up plenty of contro
The BBC appears to have serially caved-in to global warmist activism. There was much online discussion this weekend about a Friday BBC global warming / La Nina related article suddenly changing its wo
San Francisco officials have taken US taxpayers for $5.7 million by using grant money designed to prosecute Mexican border related drug and alien smuggling crimes according to an audit conducted by th
We've all heard the spin from last week's inconclusive fight between Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and Iraqi troops in Basra. Most media outlets have judged the offensive by the government a failure an
Jonathan Schanzer, of the Jewish Policy Center, writes  about Fatah, the supposedly more "moderate" group claiming to represent the interests of Palestinians, losing support among the 400,000 Palestin
It's no secret that many top Republicans have been pushing Secretary of State Condi Rice's name to the front of the pack for consideration as Vice President. The rumors of her potential candidacy have
One of Hillary Clinton's closest advisors and strategists Mark Penn has stepped down from the campaign as a result of his contacts with the Colombian government over the free trade agreement - an agre
Once again we applaud the astute Clarice Feldman for her thoughtful American Thinker piece on Peru's Alan Garcia, who has graduated himself and his nation from a near-failed state to practically a 2nd
The progress of the Olympic torch which snakes its way around the world after being lit in Greece to end up in the host country and carried into the stadium at the opening ceremonies where it is used
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, august chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has unwittingly revealed himself to be a PC-besotted hard leftist. The Charleston Gazette reports:Rockefeller beli
Due to massive protests against Chinese crackdown in Tibet, the International Olympic Committee is considering the cancellation of the torch relay which features athletes and others carrying the torch
The most recent Quinnipac poll from Pennsylvania shows Barack Obama closing the once formidable gap between himself and Hillary Clinton in the crucial primary scheduled for April 22:Illinois Sen. Bara
It has been two years since the United Nations demanded that Iran suspend it's enrichment of uranium so that a thorough review of its nuclear program could take place under the auspices of the IAEA.Si
Liberals are prone to fantasy, believing as they do that human nature is malleable. But theor most acute current fantasy is the belief that someone will tell Hillary to quit the race and make it happe
It could be that the end is near for firebrand anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.Despite the spin from the media, it is becoming more and more clear with each passing day that al-Sadr suffered a ma
Allahpundit is skeptical. So am I. So should you be.But a report to be released by the US and Israel detailing the attack on Syria by the IAF last September will make the claim that Saddam transferred
Another dog and pony show in Congress today as General David Petreaus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will appear before the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees today to update
Still in a speculative frenzy, oil prices continue to churn upward, heading for $109 bbl. Meanwhile, the cost of a gallon of gasoline is likely to hit $4 a gallon by Memorial Day in many parts of the
It's not that every time Jimmy Carter goes gallivanting off around the world to monitor elections and declare the thugs of the world to be freely and fairly chosen by the people that makes him such a
An ad showing California and the American southwest prior to their becoming part of the United States that asked the viewer to imagine "An Absolut World" where that might be true again has been pulled
Somehow I can't shed too many tears or sympathize with Michelle Obama's latest attempt at being regular folk:It wasn't until Barack Obama wrote a pair of best-selling books that he and his wife escape
The following quotations reflect the thoughts and strategies of the Democratic Party.  But can you guess who said them?"defeat John McCain""Democratic primaries signal a huge upsurge with record-break
Do you recall those internet rumors that some outlets were darkening the tone of Barack Obama in order so send a subliminal message ? Remember the use of the race card by the Obama campaign to dispara
What happens when the most influential and popular television star in the nation recommends a book on her highly rated television show?  The book zooms to the top of the best seller lists.What happens
Either the Los Angeles Times misrepresents noted Palestinian advocate (and Barack Obama friend) Rashid Khalidi.. or he is lying. The good professor should either challenge the LAT or clarify which of
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, speaking at a conference of the liberal Reform rabbinical association of which he is president, urged  attendees and other Jews not to attend events supporting Israel sponsored by P
It appears Dan Rather was unable to find a court as out of touch with reality as he obviously is. Mediabistro reports:Breaking: The judge in Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS has issued a motion to dis
Thousands of protestors who turned out for the Olympic torch relay in San Francisco were disappointed yesterday when, at the last minute, officials changed the relay route entirely leaving protestors
The Senate passed a bill that is supposed to deal with the crisis in foreclosures today by an 84-12 margin.The only problem is that it doesn't deal with foreclosures which means House Democrats are go
Peter Wallstein of the Los Angeles Times writes an excellent review of Barack Obama's association with Palestinian advocates and the difficulties this is creating for his outreach to voters who are fr
The Democrats are now an officially protectionist party.That much was made clear when Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rules of the House to avoid being forced to bring the Colombian Free Trade Agreem
Well...not quite. But if Obama is allowed to spout hyperbole, why not the rest of us?Obama reminded the crowd that he’d denounced his church’s praise of Farrakhan, saying, “I’ve been very clear about
Hillary Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania is shrinking. The latest Time poll shows a scant 6 points seperating her from Barack Obama:Backed by more than half of all white female Democrats, Hillary Clinto
The biggest disaster in the history of news television. That's the only way to describe the Katie Couric fiasco at CBS News. The network that once set the standard for news broadcasting is mired so de
Here's your weekly dose of 9/11 Truther idiocy.When last we left our unhinged and wacky friends who believe the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks, they were busy trying to recover from a Histo
The Democrats are raising tons of money this primary season with both Obama and Clinton topping $100 million each and the Illinois senator approaching a stratospheric $200 million.Needless to say, GOP
Barack Obama may have put the Jeremiah Wright controversy behind him for the most part. But the "preacher problem" for Obama continues.One of Obama's most prominent supporters in California gave what
Charlie Rose of PBS has post-Petraeus/Crocker interviews with Democratic Senator Jack Reed, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions and retired four-star general and former Vice-Chief of Staff Jack Keane. Yo
General David Petraeus is a problem for the Left. Not only has he falsified their predictions of a quagmire and facilitated the emergence of a new democratic political system in Iraq, he is brilliant,
Just about every time we do an article or blog post about the bio fuels boondoggle here at American Thinker, we hear it from supporters of ethanol that the program does not affect the price of food.We
Even Daniel Ortega, the leftist president of Nicaragua, understands the importance of offshore oil exploration in the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico waters. The International Herald-Tribune reports: Nicaragu
There are those on the left who wish to downplay the danger posed by the Iranian regime largely because agreeing with President Bush about anything is tantamount to sacrilege.But for the rest of us, n
Showing that the public perception of Hillary Clinton took a hit as a result of her lies about landing in Bosnia under fire, Bill Clinton sought to "explain" what Hillary was really trying to say.Bill
What would you say about a public charter school using taxpayer money, founded by a group with ties to the radical Muslim Brotherhood, and operating out of a mosque?If you're the Minnesota Public Scho
The Olympic farce continues to unfold as the San Francscio leg of the torch relay was forced to go underground in order to avoid protests against Chinese occupation of Tibet. Authorities eschewed the
I suppose we shouldn't begrudge our ex-Presidents a comfortable retirement. Spending 8 years with the awesome responsibilities of the President of the United States is something most of us would recoi
When Silvio Berlusconi reveals his inner contempt for certain others in public, he does it addressing a crowd massed in front of the Coliseum in Rome, not at a chi-chi Bay Area soiree of the rich and
Barack Obama's elitist remarks about God, guns, and bigotry represent Hillary Clinton's last chance to alter the dynamics of the campaign - especially with superdelegates - and show Democrats that nom
Barack Obama's remarks to a bunch of rich Marin Country liberals, disparaging the "bitter" gun-owning, God-loving small town Pennsylvanians already have received an enormous amount of attention, and i
If you haven't heard yet, Barack Obama made some comments before some mega rich donors last Sunday in San Francisco that has the internet in an uproar and many saying that his candidacy may be in trou
All the conventional indicators predict a Democrat landslide election. If voters could choose a generic Democrat for president, that candidate would almost surely win. But when theory meets practice,
Will Barack Obama lose critical votes in Philadelphia because his campaign refuses to spread out street money? That's the question raised by a Los Angeles Times story  by Peter Nicholas:Flush with pay
Pope Benedict will pray for terrorists around the world at Ground Zero during his trip to the US next week, asking them to convert to catholicism:The Pope will pray for the redemption of Islamic terro
The UK may be on the verge of allowing parents to choose to make their child deaf. Richard Gray of the UK Telegraph reports: Deaf couples could be allowed to use embryo-screening technology and choose
Hillary Clinton is getting a big boost from Obama's bitterness fumble. Her case that he is unelectable got a lot easier to make, and she doesn't even have to mention race. Not that Hillary ever gave a
This is a most unusual story and should make any lover of liberty's blood boil.Apparently a group of about 20 self-identified  libertarians went to the Jefferson Memorial last night to mark the birthd
Big Lizards blog has some interesting pictures that may show Chinese Communists provoking violence in order to undermine sympathy for Tibet.The first photo involves a supposed pro-Tibet demonstrator a
For weeks, Democrats have been trying to game out a scenario that would allow a graceful exit for Hillary Clinton without offending either the Clintons or her supporters.The problem is extremely delic
Now that Senator Obama has placed bitterness of political factions on the national agenda, it is time to revisit the literature on the happiness and optimism of conservatives versus liberals. Most pol
There was a passing reference to Tony Rezko on last night's 60 Minutes broadcast in a report concerning corruption in Iraq.  The report  included an interview with "(Iraq's) former Electricity Ministe
All the Zimbabwe opposition MDC party wanted (Movement for Democratic Change) from the court was that the government release the official results of the presidential race held 3 weeks ago.They may as
A new poll in Pennsylvania may be the first indication that Obama's verbal gaffe last weekend in San Francisco is not going over well with the public.A new ARG poll, which last week showed Obama tied
Obama has been spinning like a top since it was revealed that he doesn't think much of white middle class voters who won't vote for him because they "cling" to God, guns, and racism.Jack Tapper has no
An explosion that ripped through a crowded Mosque in Shiraz, Iran killing 12 and injuring 202 people may have been caused by a bomb according to local authorities.Meanwhile, the Iranian government ins
Note how frequently Obama waves away legitimate criticism by depicting them as "distractions." Last night in Pennsylvania  he deflected criticism regarding his remarks about small town Americans and t
While Jimmy Carter wows them in the Arab Middle East, insisting that talking to State Department designated terrorists in Hamas is the only way for Israel to achieve peace, Hamas and its lackeys have
Barack Obama has had several things to say about his "cling" remarks (the cling part is much worse than the bitter part, as several others have noted). But I just read (via Ed Morrissey) some other re
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will face off in Pennsylvania tomorrow night which promises to feature plenty of interesting responses from both candidates to questions that have arisen since their l
What did you expect? It's Jimmy Carter, after all:Former President Jimmy Carter embraced a leading Hamas figure Tuesday, according to participants in a meeting that infuriated Israeli officials alread
The man in front of me at the main desk of the Holiday Inn in Johnstown, Pennsylvania was ready to go "running".  He had his on track suit, running shoes and head set at the ready.  He was asking the
A Vice President of Russia's largest independent oil company says that oil production in that country has peaked and in the future will begin declining:Russian oil production has peaked and may never
Hillary Clinton maintains a 6 point lead in the latest bellweather poll in Pennsylvania released by Quinnipiac in advance of the April 22 primary:New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has stalled Illinois Sen
The Center-Right alliance headed by the billionaire, Silvio Berlusconi, swept into power in Italy's election Monday; he now becomes a three-time Prime Minister.  The Center-Right alliance between Silv
For years, the left has been accusing the Bush Administration of not only incompetence but illegality as well. The question has arisen in recent weeks on lefty blogs regarding the probability that if
There is something unsettling and very familiar in the Obama poster campaign which has plastered his image over the country. The posters depict the same graphic closeup of the candidate with one block
Two serious pollution cases at opposite ends of the size spectrum hit the news today in San Francisco. Last night an elegant gathering at the Opera House saw two Ecuadorian "activists" awarded $150,00
Former Newark mayor Sharpe James was convicted  in federal court of five charges, including conspiracy and fraud, along with former girlfriend Tamika Riley. He could face 20 years in prison, but is sa
An important side story to the main article in this morning's Washington Post on Hillary Clinton's poll problems is one by Anne E. Kornblut and Jon Cohen, Poll Shows Erosion Of Trust in Clinton - Most
As predicted  here a month and a half ago, it looks as though the New York Times newsroom will see its first-ever layoffs soon. Faced with continuing decline in profitability, thanks to both the gener
Secrecy News reports that the government is trying very hard to keep classification expert J. William Leonard, the former director of the Information Security Oversight Office from testifying for the
Hopelessness is so endemic in Zimbabwe that a call by the opposition for a general strike failed to generate much enthusiasm.That and the fact that people simply can't afford to take a day off - not w
Another major poll out today shows Barack Obama closing to within 3 points of Hillary Clinton in the Pennyslvania primary race:For the third week in a row Public Policy Polling’s survey of likely vote
Something weird happens to presidents in their second term. They start worrying about how future historians will view them and all of a sudden they end up supporting issues that they would never have
Barack Obama and Hillary will square off for what will probably be the last debate of the campaign tonight in Pennsylvania. It will be broadcast from 8:00 - 10:00 PM Eastern time on ABC.A debate this
Pope Benedict XVI landed at Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington yesterday beginning his first trip to America since assuming the papacy 3 years ago.He was greeted by President Bush and other
Remember the Flag Pin Controversy where Barack Obama refused to wear the decoration because he thought it had become a "substitute for true patriotism?Here are his remarks at the time defending his de
The world desperately needs to agree on a new word to describe what happens when fanatical environmentalists end up damaging the world with hare-brained schemes. Case in point: the chaos inflicted upo
Duane "Dog" Chapman, Don Imus, and Michael Richards have all made national news recently for making racist comments.  Each, having been fully and mercilessly covered by the mainstream media paid a pri
The New York Times Company is circling the outer rim of its death spiral. Not unexpectedly, first quarter results were disappointing, even considering the difficult business environment. Management wa
It is a major story in the New York Times, Politico, the New York Post, and the left wing Guardian in Great Britain. It is the most curious of all Barack Obama's problematic relationships and calls in
Embedded journalist Michael Totten was recently in Anbar province and spoke to one of our key people on the ground who is working closely with the tribes to improve daily life for Iraqis.Marine Captai
When Barack Obama repeated his call to nearly double the capital gains tax rate last month, most observers wrote it off to fiscal naivety.  But during last night's debate, the Democrat frontrunner let
A mussitation is a low continuous indistinct sound sometimes accompanied by lip movement without the production of articulate speech.  Obama mussitated last night in an exchange concerning Iran and nu
Reclaiming his title as moderate,Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that plans to present two female Palestinian terrorists with a medal of honor have been withdrawn. (snip)The Al
Think Progress, one of the leftist groups supported by George Soros, plays an incredibly stupid word game in order to score points against John McCain, and apparently believes that it can pose as an a
In a rare show of unanimity, the left, right, and punditland all agree that John McCain emerged the winner of the Democratic debate last night in Philadelphia.There is also univeral agreement that the
Is this a great country or what?  A presidential candidate who was raised by a single mother and typical white grandparents, subsisting for a time on food stamps while suffering the indignity of atten
Jews and other in the pro-Israel community who have serious misgivings about Senator Obama's stand on Israel's security aren't crazy. Obama supporters minimize the concerns about  the candidates choic
Barack and Michelle Obama have taken to invoking the claim that his mother received food stamps, perhaps in part to gain some sort of credibility as an advocate of the poor while pulling in more than
Whenever I hear a lawyer include a qualifier in a statement, my suspicions are aroused. When that lawyer is Harvard Law School graduate Barack Obama, I am doubly suspicious, because the man has a hist
In an unscheduled meeting with 5 victims of sexual abuse from the the Boston Archdiocese, Pope Benedict XVI became only the third ponitiff to speak before the General Assembly of the United Nations wh
With distorted glasses on his eyes and hatred in his heart, one term ex-president Jimmy Carter claimsPalestinian Authority Arabs living in Gaza are being "starved to death" by Israel. Carter made the
It's all over the internet this morning - left and right weighing in on a YouTube video of a Barack Obama speech to supporters in North Carolina. It's one of those political blow ups that is either to
If a man says something once, it may just be a slip of the tongue. If he repeats the same phrase over and over again, he may believe it or he may be shamelessly propagandizing. But if he repeats the s
Even with Barack Obama's univerally recognized abysmal performance in the Philadelphia debate the other night, party members who will decide the race for the Democratic nomination - superdelegates - a
William Ayers has been one of the many friends and supporters of Senator Barack Obama who have given Americans qualms about what Obama's ideology is and what policies he may put into practice as Presi
David Brooks writing in the New York Times highlights the rise and fall of Barack Obama. Once an almost untouchable icon of the "new politics," Obama has been exposed as a "conventional politician and
Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph from World War ll, of battle weary soldiers on Iwo Jima struggling to raise the American flag amidst the debris of war, symbolized the spirit of our military, the spi
Monday is Patriots Day in Massachusetts, and just in time for the celebration, Tom Maguire brings us some memorable quotes on patriotism:Love Of CountryJohn Kennedy, Jan 20, 1961:And so, my fellow Ame
Investor's Business Daily, for which my admiration is great, has noticed something potentially very important in captured documents released by the government of our ally Colombia, currently fighting
Gallup's daily tracking poll that had been showing Obama with a significant lead prior to the debate Wednesday night has reversed its track and now shows Clinton up by one percentage point 46-45:These
This article in Politico is extraordinary. Not for the information it gives about the fact that the press is in the tank for Obama. But rather because the reporters John Harris and Jim Vandehei are so
It's been 233 years since a scared but determined group of Massachusetts militiamen stood on the village green in Lexington and faced off with British regulars who had entered the town searching for p
China is shipping arms and ammunition to the regime of Charles Mugabe at a time when the dictator is preparing a "recount" of the votes in last months election that will almost certainly overturn the
Our examination of the aesthetics of the Obama images sold by the campaign itself apparently is responsible for some unusually vicious hate mail. Must be all the hope inspiring these folks.I say "appa
As Jimmy Carter continues on a self-appointed mission of courting the terrorist group Hamas with hugs and honor, Congress is expressing outrage at the former president's undermining of U.S. policy.  "
Ben Stein's new film, Expelled, should be seen by anyone interested in the new Dark Age of totalitarianism which seems to be creeping through our institutions of communication, information and educati
To hear the Democrats talk, one would think that Pennsylvania is a basket case economy. That doesn't seem to be the case, as Donald Lambro points out  in the Washington Times today: With a 4.9 percent
A new MSNBC-McClatchy poll shows Hillary Clinton maintaining a small lead in Pennsylvania in the lead up to the primary there on Tuesday:A new MSNBC/McClatchy/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poll of Pennsylva
Military commanders in Afghanistan are urging Bush Administration officials to allow them to attack Pakistani extremists in the tribal areas on the Afghan border. The requests have been rebuffed for n
Newsweek offers a 4000 word examination of the coming battle between Rupert Murdoch and Pinch Sulzberger. Tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal will debut some major changes reflecting the makeover underw
A new goverment in Pakistan with a promise to find a new way to fight terrorism. Except releasing a pro-Taliban extremist from prison would seem to most observers to be sending the wrong message:Pakis
Senior officers in the Navy are aghast. And judging by these inspections of two combat ships, they would seem to have reason:Most of the missiles couldn’t be fired, and neither could any of the big gu
A story appeared in the Sunday Chicago Tribune refuting Obama's claims of early poverty.  According to the article, at the same time that Obama said he, "was so broke when he arrived in Los Angeles fo
Three new polls out show Hillary Clinton maintaining or widening her lead against Barack Obama in anticipation of the Pennsylvania primary tomorrow.Survey USA has Clinton leading by six points 50-44.
As if 80% unemployment and 100,000% inflation wasn't enough to kill hope in the afflicted land of Zimbabwe, now comes the Mugabe crackdown on the opposition - savage beatings by the dictator's bullybo
Watch out for "Wal-Mart women" as the newest demographic group group "holding the key" to the election. At least that is what Jane Sasseen of Business Week posits:  Move over, Soccer Moms, there's a n
File this one under "Gaffes - Secretary of State:"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mocked anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as a coward on Sunday, hours after the radical leader threatened to de
Those of us who questioned Jimmy Carter's ability to bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we should be ashamed of ourselves. The former President, it turns out, has everything all worked o
Colombia's FARC guerillas are Marxist narco-terrorists, fighting to overthrow the democratic government of our ally Colombia. That should be enough to keep any patriotic American politician at conside
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. It was created by founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. senator from Wisconsin.  This year Earth Day will officially be celebrated on Tuesday, April 22, altho
There is some serious evidence accumulating that we may be on the brink of not just global cooling, but an ice age. Sunspots are historically correlated with temperature on earth. During the Dalton Mi
The fact that the torch has now become the unofficial symbol of Tibet independence is probably not what the Chinese had in mind when they won the right to host the Olympic games.But that is what the t
Following a nearly 3% rise in home sales in February that raised hopes that the housing crisis was beginning to bottom out, the most recent figures out today show sales declining last month by 2%:The
There are few political authors as successful as PJ O'Rourke. And there are no conservative authors who are as funny or as insightful regarding the foibles of liberalism.PJ has an absolute must read p
Barack Obama has glorified the role of words in moving history. He has relied on his oratory to propel his campaign. He has also advocated transparency and openness. Indeed he has made the public part
Rupert Murdoch, fresh off buying of Wall Street Journal, launches another blow against the New York Times. Murdoch's News Corporation is in a deal to purchase Newsday from the Tribune Company. Newsday
Evo Morales, the far left wing President of Bolivia, has an idea of how we can save the planet; destroy capitalism:“If we want to save our planet earth, we have a duty to put an end to the capitalist
From the standpoint of pure strategy, Obama's refusal to debate Hillary in North Carolina is probably a sound decision. He must eventually start acting like the presumptive nominee and debating anothe
In the mad final days of the Pennsylvania Democrat Primary, Hillary is trying to out-troglodyte the voters. According to ABC News, "Clinton further displayed tough talk in an interview airing on "Good
Crystal ball gazing for elections is always hazardous, even when the complicating factors present in today's Pennsylvania's Democratic primary are absent. But I asked AT's political mavens to predict
WBBM television reports that Ali Ata, 56, a close associate of major Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authorit
You may recall the pinpoint strike last year by the Israeli Air Force against a building in Syria that no one was willing to go on the record saying what exactly was being built there.Today, the CIA w
Justin Webb, BBC's North America editor, reports to UK listeners and readers on the "paradox" that America is less violent (and feels much safer) than Britain, where private hand gun ownership is bann
Bob Owens of Confederate Yankee has another case of agenda-driven media coverage. This time, it's ABC's Brian Ross and a story they did about Mexican drug gangs getting a hold of American firearms at
Barack Obama needs a prepared speech, a teleprompter, and adoration. Left to his own extemporaneous devices, he missteps and in some cases "waffles." Asked to comment on former President Jimmy Carter'
Depsite winning Pennyslvania handily, the electoral landscape looks pretty much the same today as it did yesterday for Hillary Clinton.She is behind in delegates to Obama with virtually no chance that
I attended the New York Times Company's shareholder meeting yesterday. As CNBC's website reported, the most dramatic moment occurred when a shareholder asked about the rumors of the paper being for sa
Hugh Hewitt featured on-air some audio clips (dug up by Salem Radio producer Guy Benson) of recent audio of Barack Obama friends William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn giving their warped views of America.
News out of the Tony Rezko trial in Chicago where the long time patron and fund raiser for Barack Obama and current governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is in the dock on federal fraud charges. One of
"We have a chance to bring the country together. A nation healed, a world repaired. An America that believes again."   - Excerpted from Barack Obama's "Unify" television commercial. Barack Obama's met
Earlier this week at the Huffington Post, Nora Ephron attributed the problems that the Democrats are having to the usual suspect for the elites - racist, misogynistic white men. The headlines in the d
Since the atrocious video surfaced of a Marine presumably in Iraq tossing a puppy off a cliff,  a myriad of soldier-dog photos are appearing on DOD websites. The message is clear from the DOD: "we lov
This is a pretty unebelievable story - except the Secret Service has the whole crime on tape.Apparently, a Mexican government official advancing the meeting in New Orleans between President Bush and M
When Congress mandated that the Department of Homeland Security build a 200 mile fence along the border with Mexico, DHS decided to make 28 of those miles a "virtual fence" - electronically monitored
We've all heard that truism and if you have children of your own or even if you've only been exposed to the little walking info-vacs for brief, one or two hour periods, you know just how easily they c
Smile, you're on Mossad's camera!A videotape that clearly shows North Koreans working at the site in Syria bombed by Israel last September, as well as other visual evidence regarding the reactor itsel
A couple of days ago, AT focused attention on the possible climate effects of sunspots, as solar cycle 23 runs longer than forecast, in Sunspots and a Possible New Ice Age .  There are various measure
Hillary Clinton's win in Pennsylvania has opened the pockets of her supporters to astonishing proportions.Her online fundraising efforts in the last 24 hours have netted her a cool $10 million - enoug
In City Journal, Sol Stern raises some additional questions about Bill Ayers not related to his bomb throwing activities 40 years ago.Instead, Stern concentrates on the radical teacher Ayers and how h
NPR has an interesting article on global warming... or cooling? The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat. James Hansen and Al Gore must be so disappointed. NASA is spending around 20 million dolla
Mary Grabar, a Slovenian-American college English teacher and poet, reacts to Barack Obama's condescending comments in his San Francisco fundraiser, articulating thoughts that many other ethnic groups
The New York Post is reporting that things are liable to get bloody in the purge of New York Times staffers, necessary as a result of a cataclysmic fall off in revenue:THE New York Times' news room is
Barack Obama holds a paper thin lead over Hillary Clinton according to two polls that have come out recently. The Indianapolis Star/WTHR poll shows the Illinois Senator up by 3: Sen. Barack Obama hold
The American left may be in love with Jimmy Carter and his personal diplomacy that always seems to make things worse wherever he goes.Carter's trip to Hamasland and his embrace of the leadership gener
Evidently, Bill Clinton is in trouble with the African American community for his remarks made the other day that the Obama campaign "played the race card" on him after South Carolina.This didn't sit
The Obama campaign referred to former Weatherman terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn as "respectable fixtures of the mainstream in Chicago..." after the last debate.Well let's just take a peek a
Commentary Magazine's Gabriel Schoenfeld has noted that another Obama adviser, Joseph Cirincione, seems to have anti-Israel views. His senior aide on nuclear non-proliferation had denounced reports th
These photos tell the story of misguided, naïve, and dangerously gullible U.S. representatives, who believed they were reasoning with Syria's tyrant Bashar Assad.Zbigniew Brzezinski (Back Right) and S
Illinois Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich is facing impeachment talk from within his own party in the wake of the plea agreement of Rezko pal Ali Ata. The Chicago Sun-Times reportsThe impeachment dru
There is some Interesting circumstantial evidence circulating on the web suggesting the Bear Stearns liquidation and takeover was actually to disguise the federal bailout of JP Morgan. Posing this hyp
Environmentalists have once again prescribed the wrong medicine, making matters worse instead of curing the problems over which they fret. Bookworm links to an article in the Guardian on the latest fi
Michael Hirsh, writing in Newsweek, tells us what he really thinks about people who are different than he, and although I don't think he is clinging to any guns or religion, he does seem just a tad bi
If you have friends and family concerned about global warming, have them watch this video from the founder of the Weather Channel. This guy has more experience and common sense than all the scientist
When Barack Obama first decided to run for state senator in Illinois, the long serving incumbent in his district graciously supported his early efforts - even going so far as to introduce him to liber
TimesOnline America Editor Gerard Baker has an excellent piece on the Democratic primary race in which he nails the reason it's gone on so long; both candidates are losers:The longer the Democratic ra
The controversial ad created by the North Carolina GOP that states Obama is "too extreme for North Carolina" while showing a clip of Jeremiah Wright damning America was denounced by John McCain and hi
Aside from all the other little problems (like starvation in poor countries) associated with ethanol production, gasoline blends using ethanol actually cost motorists more, even when the blend is chea
The Democrat candidates are busy attacking each other, so the New York Times steps up  and criticizes of John McCain for doing something entirely legal:Given Senator John McCain 's signature stance on
It is no big surprise that there have been protests after the New York police officers in the Bell case were acquitted.  There will be more, Mr. Sharpton assures the world.  Indeed, there will be.  An
In the "forgotten war" that is Afghanistan, NATO forces continue their efforts to eradicate the Taliban and other extremists who threaten the Afghan government of President Karzai.They have met with u
Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe looks at William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn - the two unrepentant Weather Underground terrorists frieindly with Obama - and wonders why asking the candidate about them i
Having successfully paralyzed the Lebanese government for more than a year, the political/terrorist group Hezb'allah will now apparently turn its attention back to Israel.The Guardian reports that vil
Faced with a lot of debts following his unsuccessful bid for the US House in 2000, an angel in the form of a company run by one of his supporters stepped in and supplied Barack Obama with a little ext
Democratic Party super-delegates continue to break for Barack Obama in ones and twos. He has now closed what was once an over 100 delegate lead for Clinton among the super-delegate category to just 21
That's right. If you dare criticize Pastor Wright for saying "Not God bless America but God Damn America" you are a racist bigot because what you're really doing is criticizing "the black church:"Atta
Would the last person reading the New York Times please turn out the lights?The following circulation compares the new data to the same period a year ago. Daily circulation is the Monday-through-Frida
In a huge victory for fair and honest elections, the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law requiring a photo ID to vote:In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement
Tom Maguire pokes around a bit and discovers that Obama's ties to terrorist Bill Ayres are far more substantial than Obama has yet admitted to:(1) It's not the crime, it's the cover-up - why can't Oba
Before reading this, I want you to imagine that the words are not being uttered by Obama's controversial preacher Jeremiah Wright but by, let's say, Pat Buchanan:The bulk of his remarks addressed, how
Barack Obama's appearance on Fox News yesterday came off as something of a triumph in that he was able to get through the entire interview with Chris Wallace without generating a huge amount of contro
Former President Jimmy Carter, fresh off his disasterous trip to the Middle East where he met and embraced Hamas officials, has an op-ed in the New York Times talking about what a swell job he does in
Did somebody have a little fun at Al Gore's expense when creating the movie poster for An Inconvenient Truth? There may well be a hidden message, specifically, "See no evil" buried in it. At least tha
He finally did it, he threw his pastor under the bus. Fox News reports:Barack Obama, declaring "that's enough," denounced Tuesday as "appalling" and "ridiculous" comments made in the last few days by
Barack Obama is trying to have it both ways again.  On the campaign trail he decries  "predatory" subprime lending, and declares, "Part of the reason we got a current mortgage crisis has to do with th
Bookworm calls our attention to a message from the NRA about an alarming bill being considered by California's left wing legislature, which is gerrymandered into permanent Democrat domination. Anti-gu
Last go round, the media and other apologists insisted we were overreacting to out of context "snippets," misrepresentative of Jeremiah Wright's 30 years of preaching.  Yesterday's disgraceful showcas
Barack Obama's connection to Tony Rezko may rival his Rev. Wright ties as a damaging electoral issue. Wright is a racist, and Rezko is an alleged crook currently on trial. As with Wright, Obama's hand
Visions of a McGovern-style blowout election should Obama be nominated are already dancing through the heads of some Republicans, like children's sugarplums on Christmas eve. Writing in The American S
The Conference Board's widely watched Consumer Confidence Index was down this month on fears of job losses and recession:The New York-based Conference Board said that its Consumer Confidence Index, wh
This is someone who is going to balance the budget and reform Congress?Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has requested nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks for 2009, almost three times the large
Reverend Jeremiah Wright denied likening Israel's policies to apartheid in his speech yesterday at the National Press Club. From the transcript: MS. LEINWAND: You have likened Israeli policies to apar
It doesn't take much to connect the dots in this conspiracy theory.Dot one is the person responsible for bringing Jeremiah Wright to the National Press Club - an ordained minister and head of the Reyn
Hillary Clinton has been saying for months that she would be a stronger general election candidate than Barack Obama because of she attracts more white, working class voters than her rival. Until rece
Investor's Business Daily highlights  the very problematic private South American diplomatic initiative of Bill Richardson, who has endorse Barack Obama and is generally considered as a possible runni
In a huge victory for anti-voter fraud forces, the Supreme Court, by a 6-3 margin, ruled an Indiana law requiring photo ID  to vote did not violate the constitution.In fact, all nine justices flatly r
One almost feels sorry for Barack Obama as he is forced to watch his train wreck of a pastor spew the most nauseating racist, anti-American bilge imaginable without being able to stop it.Yesterday, at
This historic Iolani Palace  in downtown Honolulu, the only former royal palace in the United States, has been seized by activists apparently demanding Hawaiian sovereignty. The Hawaii Reporter writes
Big science is starting to agree that ethanol production is hurting, not helping the environment. According to an article in today’s Washington Post by Steven Mufson entitled “Global Food Crisis; Siph
Hats off to the Berkeley College Republicans who have applied for a permit to demonstrate in front of the Marine Recruiting Center in downtown Berkeley at the same time that Code Pink is demonstrating
Barack Obama has a pattern of dealing with political problems by denial. He denies that this person or that person is his foreign policy adviser;  he denied a close relationship with Pastor Jeremiah W
North Carolina and Mississippi Republicans have already attacked local candidates endorsing Barack Obama. Now comes evidence from a Democrat that Obama may be on his way to being an albatross around t
Opposition groups were joined by Human Rights organizations in calling for an end to the crackdown on dissent initiated by dictator Robert Mugabe.The crackdown has been brutal with hundreds being beat
Many economists say that we aren't in a recession until there are two consecutive quarters of negative growth.Using that barometer, the figures on GDP released today would seem to indicate that the ec
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has a wonderful little snippet up at The Hill's Congress Blog, As Gas Prices Rose, Democrats Ignored Opportunities to Help Production:Gasoline today at the pum
Recent events in Egypt have included food riots, political unrest, and troubles with Palestinians on their borders. But does it all add up to a possible revolution?James R. Bradley, a British journali
NASA has confirmed that a developing natural climate pattern will likely result in much colder temperatures.  Of course, the climate alarmists' favorite dubious data source was also quick to point out
Ethanol apologists have long maintained the the production of the fuel does not impact the price or availability of food.Now a group of food scientists have called for a moratorium on bio fuels produc
There was an odd confluence of respect and disrespect in Barack Obama's press conference distancing himself from the specifics of some of Jeremiah Wright's vicious and insane statements. He told us ye
Barack Obama's press conference denouncing his former pastor for his racist, anti-American views has generated more ink than usual on blogs and in the mainstream press. I thought I might take the oppo
The Times equates Pastor Wright's racism to what the paper writes is the "bigotry" of the "prominent white supporter" of  John McCain, Pastor John Hagee. This defies rationality. Has Hagee expressed a
Is it just my imagination or is the global warming theory starting to unravel? More likely, opposing viewpoints that have been stifled in recent years are finally getting an airing.I say that because
At Michelle Obama's suggestion, Tom Maguire leaves the Wright story and moves on to Obama's track record on education: It is a pathetic tale, involving Marxists and interest groups whose interests are
You can expect more of this as the health nazis gain more and more power. The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now so
Some of these Clinton-era Obama supporters better hope that Hillary doesn't get to the White House. Vindictiveness has been a hallmark of the Clintons and I can see President Hillary taking her reveng
John McCain may not be the candidate to light up conservative hearts, but he has been a consistent foe of pork barrel spending. Given the disillusionment many conservatives feel over runaway spending
A couple of new polls out show Barack Obama's once considerable lead in North Carolina melting away.One poll even has Clinton ahead 44%-42% with 14% undecided. While probably not an accurate assessmen
Welcome news from a troubled part of the world. Al-Qaeda had been making some gains in Somalia recently so the death of their leader Aden Hashi Ayro as a result of a US airstrile should bolster our ef
Is it possible that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, despicable hate-mongering racist that he is, may be the one who emerges from this campaign conflict with his integrity intact? In all his smarmy, roma
On Tuesday morning, following Rev Jeremiah Wright's incendiary National Press Club appearance, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on ABC's Good Morning America that Rev.Wright "went out of his wa
The UK Times reports  that a major upset appears to be underway in today's mayoral election in London. The Conservatives were increasingly confident this afternoon that massive Tory gains in local ele
Former Clinton era Trade Representative and political wiz Mickey Kantor is in trouble. We think. Well, probably not. Then again...Back in 1992 during Bill's first run for the presidency, director Chri
Certainly one of the primary considerations for Superdelegates as they ponder the choice between Hillary and Obama has to be the mood and attitude of Black voters and how their decision might affect t
Among all the commentary on Wright's controversial statements, I have seen no informed challenge to his statements that the US government caused (or, he said later, could have caused) the AIDS virus i
As always, Congress's heavy-handed intrusion into free-markets -- most recently acting precipitously in the market in bio-fuels in the name of Al Gore's "Global Warming" Alarmism -- causes unexpected
Alleged comedian and failed talk show host Al Franken hoped to move back to Minnesota and grab himself a seat in the Senate. Thanks to a local blogger, that probably won't happen, no matter how many m
Pity poor Markos Moulitsas, founder of the Daily Kos empire and liberal blogdoms most celebrated and recognizable face. Actually, if we do pity him, it will be more compassion than he showed 4 brave A
Defying expectations of big job losses, the just-released April jobs report from the Department of Labor shows that only 20,000 jobs were lost last month, far less than the 81,000 jobs lost in March.
The Leadership Institute, which trains conservatives in political skills, claims a victory at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, where a conservative student group has swept to power in the stude
My association with American Thinker began more than three  years ago when, as someone who decided at mid-life to change careers and try to write for a living, I saw an opportunity to promote my writi
Rasmussen's daily survey out today shows an amazing split between Democrats for Obama and Democrats for Clinton with regard to the Reverend Wright controversy. Clinton now leads among Democrats 47-44,
The CBS TV affiliate in Chicago is speculating that Tony Rezko may try to cut a deal with prosecutors in his ongoing corruption trial. If so, it could spell trouble for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevi
Tomorrow morning Barack Obama will beard the monster in his own den and sit down for an hour long interview with Tim Russert, a man with the reputation for being relentless in his questioning of polit
Hillary Clinton is desperate for delegates. But does she have to abase herself and the Democratic party so shamelessly?Guam's four Democratic delegates (not to mention its five superdelegates) are up
Yesterday, AT noted  Al Franken's problems as a tax deadbeat in several states. Franken blames his accountant, though he refuses to allow  his accountant to speak to the press. Minnesota Democrats Exp
Day three of our fundraising appeal and we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from our readers and our friends on the internet. Just today, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit lent a hand
The "Mr. Wizard" of politics, Michael Barone, weighs in with some devastating news for Obama regarding his belated denunciation of his former pastor. His numbers are tanking:The latest Fox News poll,
The death throes of the daily newspaper industry continue in an entirely predictable manner, as the largest newspaper in Minnesota, the Star-Tribune, is reportedly unable to pay its debts and may face
Dear Editor, I'm not so sure [as Joseph Myers] that this change in lexicon constitutes a collapse of strategy.  I just finished reading Dinesh D'Souza's "The Enemy At Home", and there is a good possib
American Thinker publishes today Joseph Myers' critical assessment of Homeland Security's new terror lexicon, "Strategic Collapse in the War on Terror", as it published my own analysis, "Flying Blind
That seems to tbe the thrust of the theory being put forward that the increase in fatal shark attacks is a direct result of climate change:'The one thing that's affecting shark attacks more than anyth
It began on a Sunday morning, April 20, when, as is our usual habit, my wife and I settled back in bed to read the Sunday New York Times which had been delivered to our door.An article in the "Metro"
It's Sunday and time for the longed for iChat. Something always fouls it up, but we all love it just the same. Today the transmission from Los Angeles is a bit blurry because my son's camera is on the
Is the NATO alliance falling apart?In order to make up for a 7,000 troop shortfall thanks to NATO member nations refusing to allow their troops to engage in combat operations, the Pentagon is consider
Frank Rich on the New York Times attempts to link John McCain to Pastor John Hagee, as a means of lessening the impact of Jeremiah Wright's hatred of America on the Obama campaign. In the end, all he
I hate pledge drives.  The reason is simple: I associate them with National Public Radio and public television. A collection of unctuously earnest people representing every major racial, religious, ge
The Brevard County Commissioners and several of Florida's congressional representatives recently met to discuss the end of the Shuttle program and the impact NASA's uncertain future may have on the Ca
A huge thank-you to the hundreds of readers who have already contributed to our first-ever fundraiser. Your donations have enabled us to begin implementing the first project on our agenda, setting up
Thomas Edsall, a very sharp and well connected political reporter who now works for the Huffington Post has written a story on what the Clinton campaign might do in order to get the nomination.Calling
Anatole Kaletsky of the Times of London heralds a recession in predictions of a recession in the US economy.[Warren] Buffett, having speculated against the dollar for years and declared that credit de
Polling may not appear to be relaible at times but it is, in fact, a science using both statistical analysis and social science to try and determine what the electorate is thinking at any given moment
The Lebanese terrorist group Hezb'allah is training Iraqi militia members in Tehran according to American sources in Iraq.The New York Times:An American official said the account of Hezbollah's role w
Does the consitutional law lecturer and Harvard Law graduate (let alone President of the Harvard Law Review) know that the Constituiton states that the President has the duty "to take care that the la
Presidential candidates make all sorts of deals to get coveted endorsements. With industries like oil and securities, there is usually the unspoken agreement to ease up on the regulations, thus making
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts."  - Abraham LincolnWe are finally getti
In what must be a sign of the coming Apocalypse, the public editors of both PBS (Michael Getler) and the New York Times (Clark Hoyt) issued rather scathing -- for them -- reviews of their respective m
Does it really matter which it is? Either way we don't feel like we are the biggest kid on the block anymore. It's not that we grew smaller it's that the other kids got bigger. The value of the dollar
Laurie Mylroie and Andrew McCarthy have been involved in a dispute centered on his book, Willful Blindness. I think Laurie has the better of it, critical of McCarthy's role in  prosecuting that case i
Yesterday we saw the first round of donations sent by mail to our fundraiser. Many readers sent thoughtful notes, expressing their appreciation for American Thinker. Some even wrote on note-paper used
Richard Baehr:Obama will win by a bigger percentage margin in North Carolina than Clinton will in Indiana.  His campaign will spin this as a big victory. Superdelegates are breaking to him  this week.
It will get little press because it goes against the narrative of the United States being a heartless, imperial power bent on world domination.But it still says something so basic about America and he
One thing that Republicans have always disliked about John McCain is that, well, he rarely acts like a Republican.Now comes word from Arianna Huffington that McCain told her at a party in 2000 that he
Why do we refer to those flyover country Americans who maintain their traditional beliefs in God and country as Mainstream Americans while at the same time using the same adjective in a pejorative sen
With residents of North Carolina and Indiana heading to the polls today, most voter surveys disagree on how close - nor not - today's primaries will be.The notoriously unreliable AP-Ipsos poll shows H
Why is Barack Obama so comfortable with so many Marxists? The question has long intrigued me. Despite being repudiated by history, Marxism remains powerful in the halls of elite academic institutions,
Citing the "indiscriminate bombardment of Iraqi residential areas by the U.S. occupying forces," Iran has suspended talks with the United States on helping with the security situation in Iraq:The Amer
I don't pretend to fully understand the workings of the government's big housing lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But when many experts start to worry about their future solvency, I find that extre
The well documented post world war white flight from America's cities seeking the greener spaces of the suburbs to raise their ever contracting families has been gradually subsiding in the last 5 to 1
Via the Jeruselem Post comes the disturbing assessment by Israeli intelligence that Iran will be able to begin enriching uranium on a "military scale" by next year:With Iran racing forward with its nu
Thomas Defrank of the New York Daily News nails the reason that Hillary is still in the race; the discomfort - whether racially motivated or otherwise - with Obama by white, working class males:With C
New Gingrich sent a letter to his former colleagues in the House on Monday that said in no uncertain terms that unless the party is willing to embrace change, sharpen its message, and unite, the Democ
She is the biggest loose cannon in either campaign. She's got a chip on her shoulder the size of a redwood and an overweening sense of entitlement that makes her one of the more unattractive advocates
The city council of Vallejo, California voted last night to declare bankruptcy. Will the state of California follow? It may be far-fetched now, but thinking the unthinkable occasionally has value.The
Todd Beeton of MyDD has probably the most realistic analysis of what actually happened to the race last night. This is-it-over or isn't-it division echoes the mixed messages we've gotten from Hillary
Despite a large field of presidential cadidates initially, the Democrats never had anything better than a Hobson's Choice. To wit: which lousy horse do you want ride?Out of all their initial candidate
Thirty days after Steve McIntyre caught NASA cooking climate history again - this time in a feeble attempt to somehow conceal the alarmist-embarrassing  downward trend since 1998 -- Al Gore shamelessl
While up to 100,000 rotting corpses pile up in Myanmar - the name given Burma by the ruling military junta - western governments are begging the government to allow the massive relief supplies that ar
Roger Simon of Politico sums up Hillary Clinton's strategy from here on out:In a relatively short amount of time, Clinton has gone from being the inevitable winner to being the underdog to being a dea
Victor Davis Hanson asks the question why Republicans are depressed going into the 2008 campaign.His solution is to stand up for conservativism on some key issues:E.g., Gas Prices? More nuclear power,
Why May 20th? That's the day that Politico's David Kuhn is saying Barack Obama will declare himself the nominee of the Democratic party for president.Meanwhile, the other train on the same track - the
The situation this morning in Lebanon is very tense. In response to actions taken by the government of Prime Minister Siniora, Hezb'allah supporters have rampaged through neighborhoods, initiated gun
Not very likely - especially since one of the jokes making the internet rounds is Obama better employ a food taster if he picks Hillary for Veep.Obama is very angry at Clinton for a variety of sins. S
In a sane world, if you were looking for presidential timber, John McCain would leap out for his experience and sagacity. Granted his policy flubs, like the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, McCai
"Iranian President Ahmadinejad calls for Israel to be wiped off the map and talks of the Jewish people's annihilation.  America should send a message to the Iranian dictator - Israel will have the ful
Should the U.S. taxpayer pay for an organization whose school headmaster is a rocket maker for the Islamic Jihad? (Reuters May 6, 2008). Someone whose school in Beit Hanoun, Gaza is a launching pad fo
Yet another advisor has been dumped overboard by the Obama campaign when embarrassing information has come to public notice. American Thinker has been out front in drawing attention to Barack Obama's
Audio books have proven a wonderful way for me to multi-task on the computer, while others listen to them driving, jogging, or otherwise engaged in tasks that do not occuppy fully the mind's capacity.
Kyle-Anne Shiver does not ask frivolous questions, and so when she pointedly wondered whether it was Hillary Clinton's sex rather than Barack Obama's race that has driven media coverage   of the two D
Another (in addition to this) glaring instance of the smarty pants highly-educated elitists getting things totally, brazenly, wrong is offered today  by Jack Kelly. In his victory speech after the Nor
When Maine officials tried to warn residents of the dangers of this winter's near-record snowpack, Big Media slanted the story, hampering efforts to warn folks of the danger. "This winters [sic] near-
During yesterday's installment of his Hillary Must Go Show, Chris Matthews smugly suggested that white people are just itching for any excuse not to vote for Barack Obama.  The haughty Hardball host i
It's a provocative question isn't it? Some might say we shouldn't even be discussing it. But just as Jonah Goldberg in his best selling book Liberal Fascism set out to destroy a long held myth of the
Two decades after the end of his presidency, some of the smarter intellectuals are starting to realize the greatness of Ronald Reagan. Newsweek runs a fascinating interview  with Princeton University'
As the Clinton campaign ramps up for the battle in West Virginia it is amusing to see the chagrined liberal media questioning why. Doesn't she get it? It is pathetic. The new savior has arrived and th
As the over 5000 year-old nation of Israel celebrates the 60th anniversary of its return to sovereignty in its ancestral homeland after 2000 years of rule by foreign powers, Israeli commentator Uri Or
In a swing through Oregon today before starting his attacks on McCain which might include something about age or "losing his bearings" Obama was getting the pleasantries out of the way and had this to
In my effort to soak a penny or two out of Al Gore's "we can save the planet" Global Warming/Climate Change publicity machine, I clicked on a banner ad at a website I frequently visit.  My rationale,
Our former president Jimmy Carter placed himself back in the news this week by authoring an article in the Guardian.  Mr. Carter claims, "The world is witnessing a terrible human rights crime in Gaza,
Today's article on smoking restrictions and the "wellness" movement makes no mention of a politically incorrect truth: some people smoke because they find net positive benefits in it. Nicotine is not
For the last few months I have been wondering why Martin Peretz -- a major supporter of Barack Obama who has used his perch as former editor-in-chief (now contributor) at the influential magazine The 
A Chicago pol's wife gets a 200 grand salary bump (almost tripling her compensation) and a year later hubby seeks to channel a million bucks to the wife's employer. Good old time Chicago poltics, righ
Amil Imani, AT contributor and activist in the cause of freedom for Iran, remembers a time when those who ruled Persia were wise and benevolent:Israel, your people, as well as people of good will, are
Columbia University, a highly respected institution in the days when I was at college, reached what appeared to be a nadir of craven cowardice when it allowed the inmates to take over the asylum back
No longer must we conceal our allegiance to the collective. On this glorious anniversary, Comrade Chomsky reminds us of how far we've come these past forty years. As we strive to make the peoples' rev
The Obama campaign is lying, and the New York Times is helping advance the lie. Despite having earlier published documentation proving the lie.  Barack Obama said something very stupid in a presidenti
In his May 8th column, Dick Morris, who knows the Clintons well, has put forth reasons as to why Hillary won't quit the race. One is the Clintons' sense of entitlement, fueled by an overweening arroga
The New York Times carries water again for Barack Obama, portraying him a s bridge-builder who brings together different groups. The word "pragmatic" appears in the headline and sets the tone for the
For the third time I have gotten the same email from Rabbi Wolf supporting his neighbor Barack Obama. It seems that Rabbi Wolf is nearly the last man standing as far as Jewish justification of Obama.
Imagine a concept for the perfect "green", safe, sustainable, zero-emissions, invisible (literally) energy technology with potential for limitless power.  Radical environmentalists will still object!
A green wind sweeps across the field out back, playing a gentle song on the harp of the trees in the neighboring woods while a red-tailed hawk soars skyward, circling benediction from on high, ever up
Obama's mask slips even further:Interviewed in The Atlantic, Barack Obama tells us that Israel is a "constant wound... a constant sore..." and an infection. Gateway Pundit caught Obama's latest inflam
Islam is a religion one can embrace but never leave. If one is born to a Muslim father, or becomes a Muslim by conversion, forced or otherwise, one is a Muslim for life; and should one convert to anot
It just doesn't get any more blatantly biased than this. Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has agreed to a cease fire in Sadr city and correspondent Mark Kukis writes the story as if al-Sadr is "th
Hillary Clinton is predicted to win the West Virginia primary tomorrow by a wide margin:Although Barack Obama is the likely Democratic nominee, West Virginia Democratic voters are marching to a differ
Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass comes from a long line of Windy City journalists who have spent their careers exposing the rot and corruption of The Machine.But this campaign season, Kass and othe
Is he the GOP's worst nightmare? Or a non-player in a contest where he might draw Ralph Nader-like numbers?The fact is, McCain's people don't want to find out. Regardless, Bob Barr, former Republican
New Scientist, which revealed last year that obesity causes global warming, now tells us that global warming will make days longer, which has been confirmed by NASA. So not only is at least one global
Not hardly. But in the end, many analysts say he will have no choice but to take her on as a running mate - especially if she plays her cards right.Her all important exit from the race will probably d
As the forces of democracy in Lebanon continue to call for Hezb'allah and her allies to accept a cease fire that would place the army between the two warring factions, the terrorists show no signs of
Will someone, anyone, please do Jimmy Carter a favor and tell him to just shut up?  He's proving to be a major embarrassment to himself--and, by shilling for terrorists, bigots and other downright evi
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked central China killing at least 5,000 and injuring another 10,000:The earthquake struck in the middle of the afternoon when classes and office towers were full.The tem
Richard D. Kahlenberg makes the case for Barack Obama winning over white working class voters by turning against race-based affirmative action programs in favor of class-based AA, writing  in Inside H
According to India Abroad, a series of 6 bombs went off in the city of Jaipur killing 15 and injuring scores:Police sources said that 15 persons perished in the attack that triggered a stampede in the
Kudos to Tom Blumer of BizzyBlog for obtaining and posting no less than three covers of Jeremiah Wright's Trumpet Magazine featuring Barack Obama as the cover subject, with photos. Check them out.  Bl
While oil and gasoline prices continue to rise, the rhetoric and actions of Democrats in Congress seem destined to push those costs even higher, contrary to the Dems' promise that they used to get ele
The tragedy in central China continues to grow as rescuers have given up hope of finding anyone else alive and continue to  uncover more bodies:The official Xinhua News Agency said the death toll exce
With all polls showing her comfortably ahead, the only questions remaining in the West Virginia primary contest is how big will Hillary Clinton's victory be and will it change anything at all in the D
Senator Obama's newest Middle East Advisor Daniel Kurtzer, of whom we have written about here  has recently telegraphed that an Obama Administration will place the fate of Jerusalem as part of the pea
A Saudi national identified by US intelligence as the "20th hijacker" involved in the 9/11 plot has had those charges against him dropped "without prejudice:"Mohammed al-Qahtani was one of six men cha
Here's the New York Times on March 27th, 2008 - Iraqi Army's Assault on Militias in Basra Stalls:An assault by thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police officers to regain control of the southern port ci
"Foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton and Senator McCain...."   - B. Obama  "I trust the American people
Miley Cyrus has taken a lot of heat for her revealing photo. Perhaps the blame is misplaced.In the film Notting Hill, Julia Roberts' character, a movie star, is scandalized when nude photos of her are
Barack Obama wants to talk away some serious doubts the pro-Israel community has about the candidate's support of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Obama's anti-Israel advisors (some disavowed after
Here we have the man himself using the middle name that no evil conservative may speak: “This is a guy who spent some time in the Muslim world, has a middle name of Hussein, and appears more worldly a
The government is reporting that 40,000 people are dead, missing, or still buried under rubble as a result of the earthquake that struck central China last week:Rescue teams who punched into the quake
Nothing about John McCain made me angrier than his recent statements about climate change. But he's a politician and I'm not. And because he is one, he understands what I don't: give the suckers what
Housing foreclosures are up 65% compared to last year indicating that the housing slowdown and credit crunch show no signs of abating:Nationwide, 243,353 homes received at least one foreclosure-relate
Barack Obama is developing a credibility problem. Even with some members of the MSM. The man who poses as above "old politics" knows how to spin. The latest example to come to our attention comes from
Not only was it not even close, Hillary Clinton's landslide over Obama by a 67-26 margin was a shocking rejection of the probable nominee. I believe the only thing similar in the history of campaigns 
Democrat Travis Childers won a solid victory over Republican Greg Davis in Mississippi's 1st Congressional district making it three special elections in a row held in Republican baliwicks that have fl
I have to respond to the article from Mr Meyer regarding his support of biofuels. Mr Meyer neglects to mention a few things about biofuels. I will make myself perfectly clear and say that I am no fan
She may be less known than Oskar Schindler, but Rena Sendler, who died two days ago at the age on 98, was at least his equal in saving would-be victims from the Holocaust. The Age of Melbourne, Austra
It is one of the most remarkable stories of the 20th century - a tale whose ending has yet to be written but continues to fascinate and enthrall those who either appreciate the sheer human achievement
Not that I want to bring any attention to that loser on MSNBC, but the comments made recently by Keith Olbermann on his "Countdown" show should be addressed, if only to point out how out of control th
The claims for injuries allegedly caused by the painkiller Vioxx have seemed rather dubious to me. It always felt like another example of justice run amok with the judges and lawyers involved subverti
The Obama campaign seems to know they have a problem -- their man is  perceived as soft on terrorists, and way too accommodating to the  world's worst thug regimes. After Obama stated that he would me
What kind of political change is a major  European energy company waiting for to avoid the issue of sanctions on Iran?The Austrian oil and gas company, OMV, signed a huge energy investing deal with Ir
Demcorats have done it to Bush enough times, I guess turnabout is fair play.Both Al Gore and Jimmy Carter go out of their way when speaking to foreign audiences to harshly criticize Bush for everythin
In a recent blog  at American Thinker the author mulls over the idea that Obama could move to a position of being against our current race based affirmative action program, and support replacing it wi
That may be the death toll from the natural disaster but no one knows what the toll will be as a result of the Myanmar Junta not allowing foreign aid workers to help them assess damage and figure out
The promise of free government health care from Obama and Hillary is a tempting proposal. But before we jump on board let's take a look at how our cousins across the pond are doing. They've had "free"
This letter from Senator McCain to Senator Obama in 2006 is an historical reminder for past tension between the two men.  February 6, 2006 The Honorable Barack Obama United States Senate SH-713 Washin
Imagine: The President of the United States of America pays a friendly visit to Jamaica's Prime Minister in the capital city of Kingston. Shortly after his plane touches ground, the city of Ocho Rios
In a move climate realists have dreaded for months, the polar bear was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act yesterday.  Despite increasing numbers in recent decades, Ursus m
Several pundits and the McCain campaign itself, warned several weeks back that once the Democratic race was settled, Barack Obama would open up a ten point lead on John McCain as consolidation began a
The Barack Obama campaign has been in full denial mode regarding his relationship with Pastor Jeremiah Wright; denials that have proven flimsy as more revelations have come to light regarding the clos
I am obliged to post the following notice; John Edwards - uh, you remember him don't you? - Has finally taken his finger down after seeing which way the political wind was blowing and has endorsed Bar
What the "outraged" Democrats and mainstream media are completely ignoring in Bush's "appeasement" words used in yesterday's Knesset speech is that they addressed concerns originally raised by Ariel S
Michelle Cottle has a superior article at The New Republic on what happened to Hillary Clinton's campaign. It is told by "the high-level advisors, staffers, fundraisers, and on-the-ground organizers w
In an interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks , Barack Obama was asked about the statement he released regarding the situation in Lebanon. Specifically this statement was in issue:      
The politically correct Left has declared yet more of our natural language off limits to all except themselves.Conservatives, it appears, may no longer under any circumstances apply the terms appease
Yesterday's ruling by the California Supreme Court that lifts the ban on gay marraige in that state - a ban approved by 60% of voters in a referendum - will no doubt revive the same issues that were f
ABC News, the only news outlet among the Big 3 of the old network news shows doing commendable work covering Barack Obama, has a report that Barack Obama boasted about steering large amounts of state
"When a stone is thrown into a pack of wolves, the one that yelps is the one that is hit."   - Popular saying. Source unknown.The mystery concerning President Bush's remarks before Israel's Knesset wh
Rich Moran believes --along with most of the media and the Democrats themeselves--President Bush was dissing Obama and pals  when Bush condemned negotiating "with the terrorists and radicals" in his a
Obama called a reporter sweetie. Gasp. The pundits are divided on whether he should attend sensitivity training to correct his thinking or whether his coerced apology will suffice. The debate swirls,
Here's the key to the California same-sex marriage decision: "Although all parties in this proceeding agree that the right to marry constitutes a fundamental right protected by the state Constitution,
What do Americans think about demands for Sharia courts, or Muslim taxi drivers who refuse to carry dogs or passengers carrying alcohol? These and other questions relating to Islamist demands were the
Manuel Espinoza-Vasquez lives in Gilbert, Arizona and is a student at Arizona State University.  He is an illegal immigrant and he is facing deportation.  Espinoza-Vasquez was stopped by Gilbert polic
McCain is behaving like a wild mustang, untamed and unbridled, which gives support to his claim of maverick status. Republicans are being told to toe the line and be loyal Republicans. Often mentioned
Now that Hillary is fading fast in Obama's rear view mirror we should take a look at some of his proposals for America. Let's start with health care. Here are his words on the subject from one of his
Global Islamist terror is indeed global. In the media focus on the Great Satan (America) and the Lesser Satan (Israel), we often overlook the jihadist terror directed at India. Nothing at all to do wi
Reeling from his inference of an accusation of being an appeaser to terrorists, Barack Obama lashed out against President Bush and John McCain. "They [Bush and McCain] aren't telling you the truth. Th
CBS and others are reporting that Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy has been rushed to a hospital in Hyannis Port and subsequently airlifted to Mass General in Boston suffering from what CBS news desc
Certain dogs are not barking when it comes to the question of Barack Obama as apostate Muslim. (No, we are not calling anyone a dog, this is an allusion to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, CAIR. Relax.)  In re
From our "This must be a joke because it's too ridiculous to be true" files comes the news that the UN is going to send an investigator from its Human Rights Commission to investigate racism in Americ
It is startling to think that Barack Obama had -- and may very well still --  have plans to include a person who talks about his "gloablized being" as a key member of his foreign policy team. A New Ag
Rumors are a dime a dozen on the internet and we usually aren't in the habit of printing them. But when a top liberal blog publishes a story confirming rumors that I personally have heard from other s
Mark Twain resolved much uncertainty when he declared that "when in doubt, speak truth." Yet he offered no similarly authoritative advice on what to say when not in doubt -- and so lies were utilized
It is good, very good indeed to see Barack Obama making good on his promises for meaningful change, even though we're still several months shy of the chief justice actually placing the golden crown up
Michael Totten has been to Lebanon several times and reported extensively on the Cedar Revolution and its aftermath. This wistful article sums up the feelings of many who have watched as Hezb'allah an
Or perhaps he thinks the country is bigger than it is. After all, just the other day he said there were 57 states (we now know he was thinking of Heinz ketchup and their 57 different varieties).  But
It will be hard for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to go back to her Democratic colleagues and keep declaiming on the House floor about how the surge isn't working in Iraq now that she has been there and seen f
How often have we seen news reports (like this) that refer to "anonymous emails" regarding Barack Obama? This term is frequently used to characterize any sort of criticisms or questions raised about B
Who is Robert L. Gibbs and what does he know about cowboys anyway?Gibbs is the communications director for Barack Obama.  During the 2004 campaign he was John Kerry's press secretary, until fired.  Gi
Something very scary happened in Holland last week.  The sort of thing one could imagine under Nazi occupation. The sort of thing against which brave Dutch Resistance fighters fought. Yet it happened
We hear much from Michelle Obama about how unfair life can be for her and by extension all black people. Speaking of unfairness, Robert Stacy McCain has a complaint  of his own. How on earth did Barac
In this article for the UK Telegraph, David Modell is concerned that a "radical" and "hard-line" religious group has set up shop in Great Britain.They think society should be built on their beliefs. T
The National Press Club in Washington will today release the names of as many as 32,000 American Scientists who reject not only Kyoto-style greenhouse gas limits, but the very premise of manmade globa
If one had to name Barack Obama's chief accomplishments in public life, his two books would outweigh anything he has done in politics. The New York Times had a fascinating article, The Story of Obama,
LTC Joseph Myers is a man whose name ought to be on the lips of all who care about victory in the Global War on Terror. For quite some time he has been fighting a lonely battle to get our military to
Via the excellent Q & O Blog comes more Obama lunacy - this time giving us a taste of what McQ calls "global class warfare:"Pitching his message to Oregon's environmentally-conscious voters, Obama cal
This speech was a tremendous insult to the Saudis, in that it celebrated the anniversary of Israel’s birth as though it were a great American holiday.  As well, the reference to the great Pilgrim fore
Note to Obama: Your mask is slipping.Barack Obama has tried his best to conceal the fact that underneath all the soothing rhetoric about "change" and being a new kind of politican, he is nothing but a
Horrific racial violence has immigrants seeking shelter. France? Arizona?  Guess again.From Sky News:  Hundreds of immigrants have taken refuge in police stations and churches as the racial violence a
Before becoming a US Senator, Barack Obama spent a fair amount of time with Palestinian advocate and fellow University of Chicago professor Rashid Khalidi. The relationship still seems close judging b
I've written a couple of pieces on my own site about Obama's whining. It is really getting to be annoying. The candidate takes any criticism levelled against him as unfair or dirty politics. This will
In today's FrontPage.com, Joe Kaufman has an excellent piece detailing numerous violations by both local chapters and the national organization of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) of the t
Clinton will win another blowout in Kentucky by 25-40 points according to latest polls. Latest two Oregon polls show Obama up only 4 and 5 -- much closer than last week (15-20 point leads). I don't bu
Senator Barack H. Obama's good pals, that dynamite duo of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, in addition to being urban terrorists are also hot air hypocrites, proving that old adage "It's not what you
Iraqi soldiers, without American assistance, are about to take on the worst of the worst in Iraq; the Mahdi Army in their Sadr City stronghold:Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers entered the volatile Sadr City
Watch the most incredible video yet on Obama's naive and dangerous policies:In 52 seconds, he rattles off what an Obama presidency would mean for our national defense; slowing down of existing program
Senator Ted Kennedy, a 40 year veteran in the senate, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The diagnosis comes after Kennedy's seizure in Hyannisport last weekend:They said tests conducted
When reading the following in a recent Haaretz article,  I wondered what to be most amazed at. "Israel finds it hard to explain to the world what is very clear from its point of view - the unacceptabl
Around 9:00 PM Eastern time when Barack Obama faces the cameras in Iowa, he will probably declare that he now has enough pledged delegates to claim the nomination of the Democratic party:Much like a c
While blame is being slung around for the anticipated GOP slaughter in November, there is one group within the Republican minority in the House that has been espousing a return to the last way of gove
Bret Stephens warns against American Jewry spurning outreach by Barack Obama in an otherwise critical Wall Street Journal column about the presidential candidate and his views toward Israel.  As a mat
Virtually all of the elite higher education institutions in the United States have fallen into the hands of the left, but among them Columbia University may have fallen farthest. The New York Sun edit
After a year of falling temperatures, global warming fanatics grow more desperate. From Australia comes a scheme that only can be described as deranged, in my opinion:IN a doomsday scenario straight o
Barack Obama needs to issue a rule book for exactly what criticism opponents are allowed to make.Rule 1  Don't criticize family no matter who they are or what they do.Although his wife Michelle is an
This article from Sunday's New York Times is poorly written and poorly edited, like most Times articles these days, but important nonetheless, for it describes the unnoticed decline of funding for cro
As predicted  by Ed Lasky, Barack Obama's cozying up to summitry with Ahmedinejad of Iran is damaging our efforts to contain him. Only faster than Ed anticipated. Amir Tehari says Obama is already cre
Rick Klein of ABC news has done a superior job of tracing Barack Obama's lies about what he said regarding meeting with the Iranians "without preconditions."We all recall his answer to the question ab
It was Hillary huge in Kentucky while Obama rolled up an impressive win in Oregon. And Obama passed something of a milestone in that he now as an absolute majority of pledged delegates - those delegat
There are reports coming in from France that a French Court has overturned a libel verdict  against Philippe Karsenty who has courageously challenged the veracity of French journalist's Charles Enderl
In a telling article, a black leftist intellectual Ivy League professor, Adolph Reed Jr., writing in far left magazine, The Progressive, slams Obama and explains why he is unfit for the presidency. Wh
After few days of discussions in Doha, Qatar, the Lebanese Government of Fuad Seniora collapsed under pressures by the Hezbollah led opposition. An agreement, fully in favor of Hezbollah was signed by
Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani has been on trial on trumped-up charges in the so-called Haditha incident, in which brave fighting men were put in jeopardy of military prison and their careers ruined, to app
A Bulgarian who uses the nom du sumo Kootooshu is within reach of becoming the first European tournament winner in the history of the ancient sport.  To make the story even more interesting, before th
Senator Chuck Schumer claims that coercing Saudi Arabia to increase oil production by 1 million barrels a day would drop the per barrel price by $25, saving Americans 62 cent per gallon at the gas pum
One of the major arguments against the Democratic Congress' new bailout bill for homeowners and lenders is that it rewards irresponsible borrowers and speculators. Unfortunately for the Democrats, thi
Deadly rockets launched by terrorists across the border crash three, four, five times daily; residents have a maximum of 15 seconds to dash for safety in southern Israel.  And yet, paradoxically, acco
Barack Obama has a growing number of positions on how to deal with Iran. Yesterday, James Taranto in his Best of the Web column  noted that blogger Lance Adams reported on Barack Obama expressing a di
After dismissing concerns about Obama and Israel policy, Jewish advocates of Barack Obama's candidacy are starting to be openly concerned. An article by Ami Eden carried by the JTA news service report
Another credible source is suggesting the Bear Stearns blowout was in fact a bailout of JP Morgan Chase. Joseph Mason a former economist at the Comptroller of the Currency, and noted  scholar of restr
Recent reporting from Pakistan has discussed an impending peace accord between the Pakistan government and Taliban forces near the Swat Valley of the North West Frontier Province. A report from the As
To the Left, America is irredeemably racist, and those who want our border protected are xenophobes. The insanity of these claims is evidenced by what real racism and xenophobia look like. In black-le
This is getting to be a disturbing pattern for Barack Obama. A radical association from his past comes to light and he minimizes the relationship. Additional information is gathered showing him to hav
It's no accident that the military leaders of Burma have finally acceeded to the humanitarian cries of the world to allow aid workers into the country - three weeks after a devastating cyclone hit.The
A disturbing piece in today's FrontPage.com by Christopher Carson that traces the efforts of al-Qaeda to acquire a nuclear weapon to hit the United States:Where a nuclear attack once may have been bey
"Appears" to be in good health is a common trope in media coverage. I never had such a statement made to me by my doctor. Aside from that ambiguous, at best, term there is more, Rick Klein and John Sa
General David Petreus, Commander of American forces in Iraq, said yesterday that he expects to bhe able to recommend additional troop cuts in Iraq by September:"My sense is I will be able to make a re
Barack Obama on the campaign trail has been trying to defuse concerns among pro-Israel Americans regarding his sincerity and the level of support he feels for the American -Israel relationship. One li
The absurdities of radical feminism are being relegated to the ash heap of history, and not a moment too soon. You can't fight human nature forever. The latest example comes in a moving column in the
Some readers may recall that the New York Sun had one supportive editorial many months ago regarding Senator Obama. The campaign has routinely used that column to build support in the pro-Israel commu
A campaign stunt by Democrat Dan Seals, a candidate for the 10th district U.S. House seat in Illinois, seems to have backfired in a most predictable fashion.  The candidate, in what might appears to b
In a stunning refutation of the freedoms for which our military fights, Michael Yon's new book Moment of Truth in Iraq is being kept out of distribution channels on military bases in most states. This
The price of oil is not a mystery borne of conspiracies,  it's simple supply and demand. In the late 70's we were in the same situation we are in now. What was the Democrat's solution then? The same a
Much fun was had at the expense of Hillary Rodham Clinton when she pulled her New York Yankee cap out of her carpetbag on route to the office of Senator from New York. Besides looking silly in cap and
Not that her quest for the presidency wasn't technically over already. But Hillary Clinton using the "A" word in any context whatsoever relating to Obama has most observers in agreement that any chanc
Ordinarily, even an unpopular president can pull in megabucks from his own party. But in a sign that President George Bush may not be much help to John McCain in his fundraising efforts, the campaign
Professor Barry Rubin of The Gloria Center wrote a superior piece today on what the Doha Accords - the agreement giving Hezb'allah virtual control of the Lebanese government - mean to the west.Quoting
While many conservatives (like me) are excited at the prospect of Bobby Jindal appearing on the ticket with John McCain, back home in Louisiana all politics is still local. Governor Jindal has just be
How are we supposed to take this man seriously for the position of commander in chief?  Little Green Footballs snags Obama in a stunning error, and it is not just the name of the town he is in or the
Why is it so hard for Americans to learn about the successes of our war on terror? In the wake of the killing  of the leader of the FARC guerillas and the success of our Iraq policies in marginalizing
After six months without a president, Lebanon's Parliament finally elected Army Chief Michel Suleiman as a successor to Emile Lahoud:Analysts worry, however, that electing a president after nearly six
Hillary has made a gaffe. But those who think she'll quit do not have long memories. When is a gaffe not a gaffe? The answer used to be simple: when a Democrat uttered a gaffe, it vanished into the me
Fausta Wertz has the story via the BBC of the death of Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, military leader of the Colombian Communist rebel group FARC:The cause of death sounds like one of Ace's headlines: t
Historian and author Sean Wilientz has written a piece at Huffington Post that is a must read whether you are a Democrat or Republican. In it, he carefully lays out the case why Obama's disdain of the
The New York Times politics blog The Caucus has a great post tracing the history of Hillary Clinton's "assassination" gaffe and folding it into a narrative that shows Hillary's campaign on the ropes -
In a move with unknown consequences for the presidential race, the Libertarian Party went ahead and selected former Georgia GOP Congressman Bob Barr as their nominee for president:It took six ballots
In a jaw dropping feat of engineering and technical wizardry, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander touched down on the surface of the Red Planet at 7:53 EDT last night after a journey of 9 months and more than
George F. Will has an outstanding column today about the very last surviving veteran of World War I:Numbers come precisely from the agile mind and nimble tongue of Frank Buckles, who seems bemused to
The former president is in a hole and can't stop digging. Joy Lo Dico of the UK Independent reports:The former US president Jimmy Carter has called for his country to resume trade relations with Iran,
According to the US military, attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians dropped to just 300 last week compared to 1600 a week last June. This represents the lowest number of attacks in that
Subway sandwich shops have chosen to sponsor a story-writing contest for students. Very laudable considering the serious decline in writing skills among Americans in recent decades. But why has the sa
Millions of Americans gathered as I did this Monday morning to celebrate a day that was originally called Decoration Day, first observed on May 30, 1868, as a day to remember the patriots who died in
We generally think of Memorial Day as a time to remember and pray for the  men and women in the armed services who died for their country -- that is, you and me. We think of the end of Saving Private
It is no longer out of the question  that the Democrats could gain a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate -- they need to net 9 seats, and GOP-held seats are in jeopardy in Virginia, New Hampshire,
Author George Monbiot (original inspiration for the term "moonbat") has declared that this coming Wednesday, after former UN Ambassador John Bolton speaks, that he plans to arrest the American for "wa
Note to Iran apologists: Even the United Nations nuclear watchdog - a notoriously anti-American group and obsessively non-confrontational - isn't satisfied with Iranian explanations about its nuclear
Another month, another record drop in home prices and there appears to be no relief in sight:U.S. home prices dropped at the sharpest rate in two decades during the first quarter, a closely watched in
Barack Obama is the one American Marxists have been waiting for. Just look at his endorsements. He may be able to close the deal through the electoral process, a strategy his friends Bill Ayers and Be
A foreign policy adviser of presidential candidate Barack Obama, Zbigniew Brzezinski, accused members of the American Jewish establishment of "McCarthyism" in its attitude towards critics of Israel. H
Barack Obama's core campaign document is not just electioneering eyewash.  It's conveys his intended presidential agenda, and, as billionaire investor Carl Icahn said recently, it could lead to "Runaw
As a private corporation, Subway is free to include or exclude anyone from their essay contest,  and can set up the rules of their contest as they see fit. So why -- beside the blatant misspellings th
I have been following politics for a while. Since 1952. I have never seen the conventional wisdom about an election more baseless.Why Obama? Charisma, ideas, hope? None of these or any other reasons t
Analysts are claiming that foreign companies are buying more American factory goods and cushioning the blow for many. If so, it is because of a very weak dollar and probably can't last.However, it is
Barack Obama seems to have realized that he dug himself a hole when he promised meetings with no preconditions with Ahmedinejad and other tyrants in the first year of his presidency, during a CNN deba
The powerful Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement calling on Prime Minister Olmert to step aside:Israel's defense minister said Wednesday he would use his considerable power to toppl
Two pundits on one of D.C.'s most enlightened programs, the All Star Panel on Fox's "Special Report," sitting within five feet of the very reasonable Brit Hume and Charles Krauthammer, may have learne
In what is sure to be a huge disappointment to the Clinton campaign, DNC lawyers are saying there is no way that the Rules and Bylaws Committee can restore full delegate representation to Florida and
The liberal recipe of higher taxes and more government as a cure for economic distress sparks a vicious cycle of diminished employment, higher demand for services, lower tax revenues and consequent de
Is it that he doesn't want to know what's really going on? Or does Barack Obama feel no good purpose could be served by a joint visit to Iraq with John McCain?Allah at Hot Air thinks McCain's offer wa
A large part of the battle in any political contest is getting your supporters to the polls in order to vote for you.And it becomes extremely easy to motivate people to vote if they already think they
The American people by a 2-1 margin believe we're in recession. But the economy refuses to cooperate. An official recession would involve 2 consecutive quarters of negative or no growth. Figures relea
The man Hezb'allah has called a "tool of America" and a "dictator" has been re-appointed Prime Minister by the majority March 14th party in Lebanon:Based on his consultations with members of parliamen
Making it clear that she will not allow any convention challenges by the Clinton campaign, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that the nomination race will be over before the middle of June:Pelosi predicted We
You've heard of Moveon.org and Code Pink - two radical leftist groups seeking to elect out and out socialists to public office and who are fierce opponents of the capitalist sysetm.But have you heard
This primary season has me feeling increasingly uneasy.  As a Democrat, I initially attributed this to the mounting dread at the prospect of my (not for much longer) party nominating a neophyte for Pr
In one of the least surprising facts to come out of the publishing of Scott McClellan's hit job on President Bush is the knowledge that the book was edited and published by people with far left politi
If you want another proof that the Catholic Church has completely lost control of its ordained priests, consider another one of Obama's mentors, one Father Michael Pfleger -- a white race-baiting Marx
CIA Chief Michael Hayden, in an interview with the Washington Post, updates us on the war against al-Qaeda and there was much to cheer about:"On balance, we are doing pretty well," he said, ticking do
The Christian Science Monitor's Dante Chinni takes note of some Obama e-mails that serve a few different purposes: "His campaign has proven to have the upper hand in organizing with the Web and e-mail
GOP Presidential standard bearer from 1996 Bob Dole couldn't sit by a let Scott McClellan bask in the glow of media acceptance as a result of his book meeting with the approval of the anti-Bush crowd.
A week or so ago, Jeff Goldberg had a brief Q and A with Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama regarding his views of the Middle East. The interview elicited some controversy. Barack Obama ca
Gallup is reporting today that Barack Obama's lead over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination has surged into double digits again:Since just after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, Oba
Leave it to the Wall Street Journal's John Fund to give us the definitive article on the many and wonderful gaffes supplied by Barack Obama.Fund reminds us that this is the former editor of the Harvar
When the Democratic Rules and By-Laws Committee meets tomorrow in Washington, D.C., 10,000 Hillary Clinton supporters are expected to be demonstrating to seat the full delegation from Florida and Mich
Politico has a good story up today about Obama's problems with support among white women and how his favorability ratings with that group has tanked since February:Barack Obama’s favorability ratings
When the Illinois Hate Commission was found to have on its board. a Nation of Islam member- Sister Claudette Marie Muhammed who proudly stood up for Louis Farrakhan, the notoriously anti-white and ant
In this era of diversity, pluralism and multi culturalism, promoting interfaith relations with the clergy of one religion appearing at an institution of another religion or an individual of one race o
With the extension of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest for another year and the junta's insistence on carrying on the second round of voting on a new constitution despite the
Followers of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have called for a referendum before any deal reached between the Iraqi government and the US military on maintaining troops in the country after 2008:Senior
Sam Stein of Huffington Post is reporting that two top level sources are saying that a compromise on seating the Florida delegation at the Democratic convention has been reached:Two sources, including
A new report out today on the worldwide food shortage castigates the west and especially the United States for their biofuels policies which the report says has exacerbated the crisis without much of
It's very possible that the "sermon" preached by Father Michael Pfleger at Obama's Trinity United Church where he mocked Hillary Clinton for crying, saying that she was in tears because "white privile
The favorable View for McCain comes from the daily Rasmussen tracking poll . Today McCain is ahead 46-43 over Obama.  "McCain is viewed favorably by 52% of voters nationwide and unfavorably by 46%. Th
Rasmussen reports the latest survey on voter attitudes toward the candidates and at the moment, John McCain is besting Barack Obama in several important categories.On the economy, Iraq, national secur
Defense Secretary Gates pulled no punches during a press conference in Singapore where he has been meeting with other defense chiefs trying to figure out a way to get relief supplies into Burma despit
The crackdown in Zimbabwe escalated yesterday as the government arrested two prominent members of the opposition apparently because they spoke out against President Robert Mugabe:Arthur Mutambara, who
If the press had reported on Bill Clinton back then they way they are now, I don't know if he would have won a first term much less a second.Vanity Fair has a not-so shocking piece on the fast company
If the Democratic party thought the meeting of the Rules and Bylaws Committee yesterday would go a long ways toward uniting the party, they were sadly mistaken,On the agenda was what to do with the Fl
The Washington post not only sees a turnaround in Iraq in this editorial, but actually calls on Barack Obama to change his proposed policy of withdrawal:Iraq passed a turning point last fall when the
He's going to get away with it, of course. No one will dare point to the fact that once again, Barack Obama has disposed of a problem, not by addressing the cause but rather the political garbage that
That seems to be the consensus among military analysts in the aftermath of the death of FARC Commander and his replacement by a Communist true believer. The move won't sit well with those FARC command
Following up on their success in Basra, the Iraqi army has now moved to begin to disrupt operations of the Iranian Qods force that has been operating inside Iraq. This is according to Bill Roggio who
Syria has granted the International Atomic Energy Agency permission to inspect the site bombed by Israel last September. Word has since leaked out that the site contained a North Korean designed nucle
With all the hub bub over the Democratic nomination, it's easy to forget that there is a third man in the race who now can step front and center to claim an equal share of coverage for his campaign. A
Ever since the Danish media published the cartoons featuring Mohammed, radicals have been saying that the Danes would pay for their blasphemy.Today, they made good on that threat:An apparent car bomb
This Pfleger guy is almost as entertaining as Jeremiah Wright except he doesn't spout those idiotic conspiracy theories about the US government inventing AIDS to kill black people.That's allright beca
Hillary Clinton racked up another primary win, this time in Puerto Rico where she beat the frontrunner Barack Obama by a more than 2-1 margin:In a telephone interview with The Washington Post after he
"David Mitchell" writes:i happened across your site by means of one of my acquaintances sending me some of your spew. i only have a few minutes to respond; i have a life, including a child in the tub
Hey kids! Wanna see what's in store for the American people if the Democrats win the White House next year?Well here's a gander at what's been going on in the nation's only mandatory health insurance
This is positively obscene. After initiating land redistribution policies that everyone agrees has wrecked the Zimbabawe agricultural sector, President Robert Mugabe said in a speech at a conference t
George W. Bush has been accused of almost every transgression attributable to an American president. But one of his most glaring mistakes, as demonstrated by the current cancerous lesion on his backsi
Recently members of Congress treated the media and the American public to the spectacle of questioning oil executives as to why gasoline prices were so high.  Though this theater has been repeated wit
Venezualean President Hugo Chavez has issued new decrees that gives him new and sweeping powers over the intelligence apparatus in the country: President Hugo Chávez has used his decree powers to carr
Now that we're flirting with the Cap & Trade scheme proposed in the pending Climate Security Act before Congress, how about resurrecting the selling of indulgences and applying it to speech perceived
Erik Ericson of RedState.com has a very detailed article today on Barack Obama's connection to a neo-Marxist political party called the "New Party." (I wrote about the New Party here.)Basically, Obama
Officially, when the polls close tonight in Montana and South Dakota around 10:00 PM eastern time, the Democratic race for the nomination will be over. In truth, it ended weeks ago when it became clea
The new Pakistani government has been negotiating with extremists in the NW Frontier Provinces for weeks and are finding the going a little tough.This is the same ground covered by President Musharraf
According to the media, Barack Obama has won the Democratic Presidential nomination (Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket). That's only true if you count the s
There will probably be more said on this later but Barack Obama, fresh from clinching the Democratic nomination for president, spoke before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.Given all that
This seems to be a desperate move by the Congressional leadership and will probably not sit well with Hillary Clinton supporters. Apparently, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and Party Chairman De
It's existence is still not absolutely confirmed, but the Michelle Obama "rant" tape is being described with a fair amount of detail on the pro-Hillary website Hillbuzz.I mentioned the tape yesterday
Fouad Ajami is always worth reading and his article in today's Wall Street Journal is no exception. He reminds us why we went to war in Iraq:"When a calf falls, a thousand knives flash," goes an Arabi
John McCain gave a speech in New Orleans that he said was the kickoff to the general election campaign.If true, he may want a mulligan.Before a lackluster crowd (compared to his Democratic rivals), Mc
Fox News discovered that Rev. Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ didn't mind accepting $15 million in cash from the same federal government Wright believes planted the AIDS virus to kill African
Last night after Obama clinched the race for all practical purposes, Hillary Clinton gave a rather curious speech. She didn't suspend her campaign. She didn't concede the race - even after telling lea
As I watched the Fox news coverage of Obama's speech from St, Paul, Minnesota and looked at the faces behind him on the podium I had to wonder where were all the men in Minnesota on Tuesday night?  Th
While some question the impact of preaching from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ on Senator Obama's thinking, the influence of one of Trinity's most recommended authors on Obama is clear
Amazingly, it has taken less than 24 hours before Barack Obama started backtracking on one key part of his speech to AIPAC Wednesday -- the part that brought the crowd to its feet cheering - that Jeru
Tonight begins Round 11 of the Celtics-Lakers championship series. The Celtics lead the series 8 to 2, but lost the last two to the Lakers in 1985 and 1987.   When I was growing up, the teams I rooted
In public, on the floor of the Senate, Barack Obama uses his physical size and strength against an older man. Senator Obama had some tough talk for Senator Joe Lieberman on the floor of the Senate ove
Global warming skeptics have been compared to Nazis so I guess it's not surprising we should hear this kind of crap from the gloabal warming crowd:In all too common fashion for Global Warming alarmist
The mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said that he would welcome becoming a "martyr" if found guilty in his military trial:Wearing thick glasses and occasionally fussing with his
Diplomats from the United States and Great Britain who were investigating political violence in Zimbabwe were attacked by police and "war veterans" - a group of thugs fanatically loyal tp President Ro
Though he refuses to repudiate them, merely "distancing" himself, Rev. Wright, Father Pfleger and James Meeks all have a public history with Barack Obama.Here is an interesting article on Obama's fait
R. Emmett Tyrrell, founder of The American Spectator and Clinton critic extraordinaire, exposes Todd Purdum of Vanity Fair (formerly of the New York Times), and in the process, the biases of the Ameri
Once again, Barack Obama has demonstrated serious gaps in actual knowledge of the subjects on which he so charmingly pontificates.The Democratic candidate, who prior to the past years or so, seems nev
It's been a long time coming but it looks like we may get our first new oil refinery in over 30 years. By a margin of 58% to 42% the voters in Union County, S.D. have approved the re-zoning of 3292 ac
Bob Owens has the story over at Pajamas Media of the latest blow against the government's trumped up case against 8 Marines who were involved in the so-called "Haditha Massacre."A military jury has ac
After such a long, tough campaign, it will be painful to watch Hillary Clinton finally conceding defeat and then endorsing someone she clearly doesn't think is qualified to be president:Howard Wolfson
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, friend and fundraiser to many movers and shakers in Illinois politics, has been found guilty on 16 counts of fraud and corruption in connection with a "pay for play" bribery schem
Thirty years ago, on June 6, 1978, Americans began a political revolution.  Unlike most political revolutions in our history, this was not a revolution at the federal level and it was not a revolution
In the largest single monthly increase since 1986, the unemployment rate for the nation jumped half a percentage point in May signalling that the economy is still troubled despite some recent steadyin
Hey buddy, can you spare a trillion to save the planet?A report issued today by the International Energy Agency based in Paris says that in order to get serious about combatting global warming, it wil
The Air Force Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force were both fired yesterday in response to a report that heavily criticized the top levels of leadership in the USAF with regard to their
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton sat down to discuss the future of the campaign in Washington yesterday as rumors circulated that Clinton had backed off her previous utterances about wanting to be Vic
The source of the liberal, far-left mindset, blame America, counsels isolationism in the face of threats, standing down instead of standing up for people in distress who labor under dictatorial rule.
Today is the 64th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of France, and is the day following the anniversary of Ronald Reagan's death. What better way to commemorate both events than to read Reagan's great
Tuesday, as the Democratic nominating process finally came to an end, American Thinker was contacted by the Times Global Broadcasting Company of Mumbai, India, asking if I would agree to an interview
One problem that Islam has in competing with other cultures in the modern economy is that the requirement to pray five times a day -- after a ritual cleansing -- interrupts the flow of work. Even as i
Under threat from Pakistan's ruling coalition of arrest for various offfenses against the constitution, President Pervez Musharraf is resisting calls that he resign his ofice:Mr. Musharraf spoke at a
In a speech before several thousand cheering supporters, Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign for the presidency and endorsed Barack Obama for president:She urged the cheering crowd to support Illin
Did Secretary of Defense Gates kowtow to China? This is not an unreasonable question to ask if you look beyond the immediate rationalizations for the firings of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and A
We probably won't be doing much of this if Obamamessiah gets elected president. Such things as walking away from useless, hypocritical forums sponsored by the UN on human rights will be seen as impoli
Jimmy Carter popularized the term "misery index", which is an economic indicator created by economist Arthur Okun that adds the unemployment rate to the inflation rate, when he ran against Gerald Ford
The Democrats should be far ahead, of course. McCain should be in the low 30's considering everything that is going on.But this CNN poll reveals something deeper than the mere fact that the candidates
Let the navel-gazing begin! Democrats now scramble to avoid the looming feminist backlash from Hillary supporters, disappointed that their identity politics candidate was passed over by the superdeleg
Another D-Day anniversary has come and gone, and still the media won't report the news they don't want you to see.I witnessed the invasion at Normandy on D-Day in 2004, on the 60th Anniversary.  No do
An Obama supporter belonging to a group called "Socialists for Obama" posted a long piece on "The Jewish Lobby" right on Obama's presidential campaign website.                                         
The good news is that Iraq's cell phone towers are still standing.  The bad news is that the towers now are being "protected" by a Shia militia that may have ties to Iran.As previously reported on AT,
They really don't get it.A delegation of Pakistani lawmakers and government officials are off to Belgium to matter of factly ask the EU to destroy free speech by preventing the publication of cartoons
Perhaps the most imporant international organization relating to stopping the spread of atomic weapons is apparently headed up by an old woman.Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Elbaradei said in an in
Mark Penn is generally credited with botching a sure thing.He was one of Hillary Clinton's chief consultants, the architect of her drive for the White House. As chief strategist, it was his job to com
President Bush warned Congress in his radio address yesterday that he may be forced to cut military pay if they do not pass the $165 billion war funding bill - without all the bells and whistles added
According to the Washington Examiner, Democrats in Congress are bypassing normal procedures for approving new tax legislation in order to give class action plaintiffs' attorney a $1.575 billion tax br
No wonder Republican Senators are having a hard time raising money. Employees of the campaign fund evidently feel perfectly secure in robbing them blind:The former treasurer of a key Republican campai
On a day when the story around the blogsphere is about the scrubbing of anti-Semitic material from Obama's website come this press release by Catholic League President Bill Donohue telling us that som
President Bush left today for his last European Union summit being held in Slovenia and will visit several other countries while he is over there:Bush's first stop is in Slovenia for his final U.S.-Eu
It's not much in the way of a sign that we're climbing up from the well we've fallen into but at this point, like a starving man, we'll grasp at any morsel at all of good news on the housing front.Sal
Barack Obama's plan for imposing unity on the nation after he takes office apparently entails a close look at war crimes trials for Bush administration officials. He has even said so in an interview w
So much for guts at the Archdiocese of Chicago.Despite using shockingly racist language in a sermon at Trinity United Church, Father Michael Pflger is being allowed to return to his St. Sabina parish
A very good piece in USA Today about how Obama must pick up a good percentage of women who voted for Hillary Clinton or he can kiss the presidency goodbye:Obama could face a challenge to win over some
The Marxist president of Venezuela has  ytold the FARC guerillas in neighboring Colombia to give up their struggle to overthrow the US ally: (via BBC) In his weekly television and radio programme on S
The most dangerous terrorist networks in Southeast Asia are on the run thanks to multinational cooperation, good police work, good intelligence, and well executed military operations:Three years after
It shouldn't come as a shock that most Americans see a bias at work in media coverage of the election this year. But what is really an eye-opener about this Rasmussen survey on attiudes toward the med
The Anchoress draws my attention to this piece by Washington Post editorial writer Fred Hiatt, who makes mincemeat of Senator Rockefeller's latest "Bush Lied" report, noting that Bush did not lie and
Democrats have convinced themselves that victory will just fall into their lap. An overconfident foe is usually blind to its own weaknesses.Markos Moulitsas, of the Daily Kos, has written a piece for
Ken Griffey Jr., owner of one of the most perfect swings in all of baseball, hit his 600th home run Monday with a shot off Florida Marlins left-hander Mark Hendrickson, becoming only the sixth player
When President Bush signed the 2001 tax cuts into law, the new lower rates had a ten year life, and are set to expire in 2010. John McCain has supported extending the tax cuts and making the current t
There have been some indications (and wild rumors) that this deal is hung up because the US wants so many bases in Iraq after the original deployment is over. This is a misunderstanding of what the tr
No word on what kind of sanctions the president and the Europeans are willing to place on Iran for not suspending their enrichment activities or allowing more inspections but they probably won't amoun
Barack Obama's campaign has announced they will put campaign staff in all 50 states - the first time that has happened in a generation:He said the campaign is seeking 30,000 new donors to make $25 con
Historically, performers, of any kind, singers, actors, actresses, storytellers (i.e. fiction writers) and the like, occupied the lowest rung in society.  And for good reason they didn't do anything c
If senate Democrats keep this up, I'll be able to break out my bell bottom jeans and start revving up my Donna Summers records:With gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon, Senate Democrats want the gover
This list of people being named to Obama's campaign makes it look like a full employment act for Democrat spouses, children and long time consultants.Last week Obama named Caroline Kennedy, Eric Holde
Lefty blogs are beside themselves with joy this morning because Congressman Dennis Kucinich has beamed down from his spaceship long enough to offer resolutions of impeachment against President George
American Thinker has commented before on Edward Markey's affection for America's enemies (for example, Venezuelan tyrant-in-the making Hugo Chavez ). Now we have this principle on display again (with
Some leftists are in a tizzy because Barack Obama has appointed an economic policy adviser who has dared to praise the benefits Wal-Mart's low prices bring to low income consumers: Jason Furman.Recogn
Fox News reports  that Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) has introduced an amendment to s spending bill that would free up offshore drilling more than 50 miles off our coast, enabling American companies to dr
The other night, while I was at a local comedy club, Robin Williams showed up unexpectedly and did his act, a mixture of old and new.  I've always liked Robin Williams, because I think his improvisati
This could be a very big deal or it could just have been a mistake but the Pakistani army - our erstwhile ally - are very upset over reports a US-led coalition airstrike along the Pakistani-Afghan bor
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the Nazi enemies of Dr. Jones have been replaced by Soviet communists. The villainess is an icy woman with an accent so far over the to
Many observers of Iranian politics have been writing off President Ahmadinejad's chances for re-election for months. The conservatives are riven by factions that can't agree on how to fix the economy
Self righteousness can be a disease afflicting the true believers in any cause. But the animal rights movement seems to be home to more than its share of people who believe their cause is so right tha
George Bush told the Times OnLine that he regrets the fact that his rhetoric gave the impression that he wanted war in Iraq.One might say it's a little late to harbor such regrets. One might also say
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has yet another Bush-bashing and self-serving column out in today's New York Times. She blames the Iraq War for the  junta in Myanmar's refusal to allow em
Michelle Obama to co-host  next week the vastly popular The View. It will befree advertising (not that the Obama campaign needs any)  that reaches a key demographic group that has eluded the clutches
The US Supreme Court has just decided to allow terror suspects captured in foreign combat to challenge their detention in Federal civilian courts. This decision contradicts US law for the last 232 yea
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?" "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident." -Si
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Chicago political operator and friend to the powerful in Illinois, says that two months prior to his conviction on fraud and bribery charges, prosecutors were pressing him to give
Jim Geraghty reports on an interview Obama gave CNBC on the gas crisis where the candidate came out four square - for higher gas prices:Barack Obama: I think that... we have been slow to move in a bet
AT contributors have some further thoughts on how America can re-start aggressive development of our own opil resources, instead of relying on OPEC.Jerome Scmitt writes:Patrick J. Casey AT essay today
By the narrowest of margins, 5-4, the United States Supreme Court granted the constitutional protection of Habeus Corpus to foreign nationals being held at Guantanamo:In its third rebuke of the Bush a
While commentators fret  that the GOP will attack Michelle Obama and alienate voters, supporters of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe don't limit themselves to mere criticism. Jan Raath reports  for the Times
Next time Obama takes to the stump, let's watch and see if he's wearing anything pink.If so, it shouldn't surprise us. That's because one of Obama's "bundlers" - supporters who raise cash by the bushe
From "Page Six," we get the news that there was a debate in Canada between surrogates for Obama and McCain on foreign policy:IF only John McCain could use surrogates instead of having to debate Barack
According to Rasumessen, Senator Cornyn has opened up a 17 point lead in texas (it had been 4), almost killing the Dems' hopes of picking up 9 to gain a filibuster-proof 60 seats. Here's how the key S
The cost of food and fuel soared in May and that pushed the cost of living up 0.6% - about what analysts had expected:The Labor Department reported Friday that consumer prices rose by 0.6 percent last
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told the Associated Press that talks with the United States on a security pact had broken down because neither side would accede to each other's demands:He says th
If didn't know better, I would think the Democrats are really trying to lose this election. First they offered up the cap and trade global warming bill in the Senate that was quickly withdrawn when th
I was wondering when this was going to happen. It appears a major effort is underway to smear as "racist" or "sexist" (or perhaps both) anyone who criticizes Michaell Obama.This is probably a prelude
The Treaty of Lisbon, in effect a new constitution for the European Union intended to add to the power of EU bureaucrats at the expense of democratically elected national governments, was rejected by
Boy oh Boy Cook County Dems here in Chicago must be licking their chops at the prospect of Obama moving many of the fucntions of the national party to the Windy City. Think of it; new chances for graf
I don't think the muddle over habeas corpus would be resolved if Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) were closed, as Linda Greenhouse asserts in today's artice on the Supreme Court decision granting habeas corpus
One of the joys of the Web is the ability to get the Supreme Court’s opinions in real time and, particularly, reading the dissents of Justice Scalia to outrageous left-wing opinions.  So it is with Bo
The economic slowdown so often portrayed as a recession is pressuring tax revenues at every level of government. Hal Morris, the Grumpy Editor, warns of a possible wave of revenue enhancement efforts,
Barack Obama once again embarrasses himself with his poor grasp of history. Even worse, the former president of the Harvard Law Review does not seem to understand the nature of a famous court. Jake Ta
Regular readers of this website are well aware of the Global Warming scam. Poking holes in the AGW theory is becoming child's play. But we have to keep at it because the general public and major presi
Among all the tributes offered Friday night on the various cable networks to Tim Russert, only one that I saw managed to use the opportunity to crassly advance a political perspective and advance a pe
My initial elation at the Irish vote against ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was tempered by reports that the EU proponents were continuing on course despite this latest setback. But today it appear
Debra Bartoshevich is a delegate pledged to support Hillary Clinton at the Democratic convention in August.She is also, as of earlier this week, an announced supporter of John McCain:As an avid suppor
A notable example of the way the press is attempting to paper over Barack Obama's blunders was spotted and wittily mocked by Steve Gilbert of Sweetness & Light. Glen Johnson of the Associated Press pe
In a bold attack, the Taliban killed 15 guards at a prison in Kandahar and freed 1200 prisoners including about 350 Taliban fighters, suicide bombers, and leaders:"It is very dangerous for security. T
You can hardly blame Barack Obama for trying to avoid John McCain's challenge of appearing together at 10 Townhall forums between now and election day. Without his precious teleprompter and script, th
The kind of  media hype given to Barack Obama last week after he clinched the Democratic nomination for president usually presages a big jimp in the polls.But Obama never received more than a medium b
The passing of Tim Russert was a shock to the political system in America. For better or worse, journalists are now as much a part of governing in this country as any elected representative and when s
What's remarkable isn't that China is now the world's #1 producer of greenhouse gasses. The truly unbelievable thing is that Al Gore and his minions criticized the United States severely for not signi
Former Virginia governor Mark Warner has ruled himself out as Barack Obama's running mate. The AP reports:Former Gov. Mark R. Warner on Saturday removed himself from consideration as a vice presidenti
More evidence accumulates that even the press sees that American policy in Iraq has not just turned the corner, but is heading for success. A stunning Washington Post editorial  this morning actually
A group of smugglers connected to selling bomb parts to Libya, Iran, and North Korea, may have acquired blueprints to build a bomb and shared it with other countries and rogue groups says a former UN
There appears to be a new effort underway to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden. With the help of British special forces and the cooperation of the Pakistani government, coalition forces are moving throu
Barack Obama threw the virtuous Jeremiah Wright and the very nice Trinity United Church of Christ under the bus, but once again it is the fault of the meanies who always criticize Barack Obama. That s
Barack Obama has inspired millions with his call for an end to divisiveness and partisanship in order to address our problems. He calls this approach the "new politics" of hope and change.Funny. He ap
NBC's Tim Russert died of a heart attack on Friday. Only the deaf, dumb and blind can be unaware of this fact. Ever since the unfortunate death of one of the major players in the field of media and po
The Air Force decision to source its next generation tanker fleet from a Northrop-Airbus consortium did not go down well with a wide-ranging group of people. Boeing filed a protest over some of the as
There were questions surrounding Gordon Brown when he became Great Britain's Prime Minister. Taking office with echoes of "lap dog" following his predecessor Tony Blair, many wondered just how committ
Hopefully, Newt Gingrich has even less influence with John McCain than he thinks because the former speaker of the House came out yesterday and said that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal would be the "
Not making many headlines because the perps are Democrats, the sweetheart loan deals that former Obama Vice Presidential vetter Jim Johnson accepted from Countrywide Chairman Angelo Mozilo have ensnar
This is a story that is an object lesson for mainstream news organizations as well as new media watchers.The fundamental lesson; don't mess with bloggers.The Associated Press sent a letter to several
This piece by John Hendren at ABC News is something we should probably have to get used to. Apparently, we are to be prevented from being beastly to Michelle Obama because, after all, she's only the c
The biggest dilemma NBC had in announcing the sudden passing of Tim Russert was the lack of anyone in their news department with enough stature to "break the news". Who could they choose among their r
Predictions are fun, never more so than when they come to pass, and it's even better when it happens immediately so that everybody notices.  (Runaway ego? Sure, I'll cop to it.) In my essay today ("Co
Thanks to our good friends in the Pakistani government, several hundred Taliban fighters have inflitrated across the border from their bases in the northwest frontier provinces and are seizing village
Jennifer Rubin has a jaw dropping quote from Obama's national security advisor Richard Danzig on why Obama's foreign policy sounds so infantile ("we should all sit down and chat and respect one anothe
The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll confirms what other polls have been saying for about a month - that John McCain is competitive with Barack Obama in capturing the independent vote:In the first
Just drill, baby.No, we probably won't be able to drill our way out of the oil supply crisis we are currently experiencing. It's too late for that since any drilling we undertake will mean a decade be
Yes, but when can we start questioning his competence?Last week, Obama's first major decision as a candidate for president - choosing people for a steering committee to help him pick a vice president
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton raised a total of $400 million dollars for the presidential campaign. Obama himself now has an estimated $46 million on hand for the general election.But the Denver Ho
In a perfect example of Edward Bernard Glick's scenario, an outspoken, hostile but decidedly minority (so far) group of professors at the University of Chicago are protesting against the following pro
The Mississippi River is overflowing levees in Illinois leaving millions of acres of prime farmland underwater and driving up the cost of corn. Reuters reports:The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a
If we capture him alive, Osama Bin Laden will be able to appeal to US courts -- the same US courts that protects the rights of American citizens and now, evidently, the terrorists who are trying to ki
The morality play on offer from greenies and their media buddies holds that "we can't drill our way" to cheaper oil prices, but "conservation" and "new technologies" for "alternative energy" are the a
If tomorrow we discovered a giant asteroid on a collision course with earth we would call such a threat an Extinction Level Event. An E.L.E. is what got the dinosaurs and is what may be occurring with
The N.Y. Times' Michael Powell and Jodi Kantor report that her husband's campaign is giving Mrs. Obama's 'image a subtle makeover, with a new speech in the works to emphasize her humble roots.' They r
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Barack Obama had a conversation this week in which the presidential candidate said he would be visiting Iraq before the election. This is welcome news because
Barack Obama's views towards Israel have elicited much controversy over the last six months involving his relationship with his pastor (and "sounding board", "moral compass" and "confidant") Jeremiah
James Taranto calls out  Michelle Obama for appalling pandering to the lie that the government deliberately injected black men with syphilis in the notorious Tuskegee Study. Yesterday, a  New York Tim
The Iraqi army moved into the militia hot spot of Amarah and promptly arrested the town's mayor - a top member of Muqtada al-Sadr's party:Among those arrested is Amara's mayor, Rafi Abdul Jabbar, who
We've reach a point in the political and economic life of America where nearly all liberties have been infringed upon.  Political correctness and multiculturalism have a choke hold on the freedom of s
From our "It couldn't happen to a nicer fella" department...Several big donors connected with the Rev. Al Sharpton have been served with subpoenas this week as part of an investigation by the IRS into
Barack Obama has unveiled his plan for saving Social Security and it consists, unsurprisingly, of a massive tax increase. In addition to his plans for raising tax rates on capital gains and dividend i
This is pretty shameless - even for a politician who claims to practice a "new kind" of politics.During the Ohio primary against Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama skewered her for her support of the North
Barack Obama told Common Cause in November 2007 he would accept federal funding for the General Election race were he the Democratic Party's nominee in 2008. Today Obama became the first candidate of
Periodically, Barack Obama tries to bolster his foreign policy and national security credentials by making statements along the lines of "all options are on the table" regarding Iran's nuclear efforts
The worrying thing is that the Congressman - Maurice Hinchey - isn't getting laughed out of Washington for proposing a nationalization scheme for the refinery industry. Even at the height of liberalis
Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats find themselves in a no-win situation. We awoke this morning to the reports that a compromise has been reached between the Bush Administration and Congress on
A sure sign of the weakening power of Moqtada al-Sadr is that his militia is just a shadow of its former self. The Iraqi army, backed up by a much smaller number of US troops, are rousting the militia
ABC News is reporting that western analysts believe the Iranian-Lebanese terrorist group Hezb'allah is preparing to attack "Jewish targets" someplace in the west, perhaps North America:Intelligence of
Tim Russert has been dead a week but that hasn't stopped the nakedly ambitous potato heads at MSNBC from lusting after his Meet The Press job.Word is out and reported by Page Six at the New York Post 
The Obama campaign faces a burgeoning problem: the tendency of certain highly-placed  Muslims overseas to declare that he is of their faith.  The latest to do so is Libya's Qadhafi, in remarks made ma
The main reason Barack Obama has given for eschewing public financing of his campaign was based on a lie:"We've made the decision not to participate in the public financing system for the general elec
American officials report that an Israeli military exercise earlier this month involving more than 100 planes and dozens of helicpoters could have been a dry run for a strike against Iran:But the scop
In the lead editorial Public Funding on the Ropes, the New York Times seems to go out of its way to make the claim that Obama is rejecting public financing for the Presidential campaign because he mus
Barack Obama released a video to his supporters, explaining his not too secret decision to forgo public campaign funding. That he did it himself, in a video, shows that he recognizes that he has signi
CBS News and the Associated Press were quick to regurgitate claims that global warming has increased the intensity of earthquakes fivefold in the past 20 years. But had either taken the time to invest
The day after Sen. Obama announced that he would not take public financing for the general election, part of his overall plan for the general election came into focus.  MoveOn-dot-org announced that “
At the heart of Barack Obama's economic proposals -- those that he has promised to deliver if he becomes President -- is the expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts. He promises to "restore fairness to the ta
Barack Obama is against lifting the ban on drilling for oil offshore because it would not reduce gas prices "this year, next year, five years from now," according to CNN ."John McCain's proposal, Geor
A long campaign gives time for the candidate's meta-message to emerge. Not always intentionally, nor to their advantage. A significant element of Barack Obama's meta-message emerged at a fundraiser in
In what has to be a good development for the defendants in the case against two former AIPAC staffers, the government has substantially lost its appeals in the U.S Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circ
The New York Times - that's right; this is not a misprint - headlines a piece on Iraq today, "Big Gains for Iraq Security, but Questions Linger."Since that is what the United States army has been sayi
Usually, when we use a headline like this, it's to describe the subtext of what a politician really means. Not this time, Obama told members of the Black Caucus that they should "get over" the fact th
In a move that will almost certainly anger business travellers, United Airlines will require a 1-3 night stay on domestic flights beginning in October:The second-largest U.S. carrier said the moves ar
Barack Obama has tried to hide his far left political inclinations by boasting of his "post partisan" approach to governing. We are led to believe that under an Obama presidency, partisan differences
The 2008 Presidential race finally got underway yesterday as Barack Obama used his race to try and innoculate himself against criticism:Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama said on Friday he
This is either the creepiest thing I've ever seen in politics or a joke. Obama showed up at a meeting of Demcocratic governors in Chicago yesterday and appeared behind a podium sporting a seal that lo
It could be everyone is taking a  breather now that the campaign for the nomination is over. Or it could be they didn't try very hard to raise money.Or it could be a sign of "giving fatigue" on the pa
In an effort to tamp down speculation which the Kingdom believes is driving oil prices to "dangerous" levels, Saudi Arabia has indicated that it will be willing to to start pumping additional oil beyo
Forget for a moment the 100,000% inflation, the 70% unemeployment, the scarcity of food, and the unbearable quality of life for the overwhelming number of Zimbabweans.Robert Mugabe, in his lust to han
Reaction continues to pour in to Barack Obama's announcement that he would not take federal financing for the presidential election.From Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, political analyst Mark Shields - a Dem
Only once in the last 20 years has the candidate who has been ahead in June polls ended up winning the election according to the TimesOnline:As hard as it may be to believe, Michael Dukakis  was leadi
Very interesting survey in the Washington Post this morning about racial bias. Apparently, there are about 3 in 10 of us who admit to being biased toward another race - 30% of whites and 34% of blacks
This story in the UK Telegraph caught my eye because it combines two subjects we here at AT take great pride in exposing; leftist stupidity and why that makes them dangerous.From the UK this morning c
When I think of all the nights(like this) I have not sleptand wept in envy of those asleepthe panacea of counting sheepresolves to craving lamb kabobbuffet style, plentiful and cheapArtists say night
The Supreme Court of the United States of America has seen its share of history over the last 218 years of its existence. It has decided the most fundamental questions of human liberty and dignity as
Wolf Blitzer wants to know "should the Iraqis be selling oil to the United States at a discounted price?"  On Sunday's "Late Edition" on CNN  he asked if the U.S. should get Iraqi oil at a discount "g
Peter Brown runs the Quinnipiac University Poll and writes in the Wall Street Journal that this election will answer a fundamental question about the Democrats.Is it their message that's garbage or ju
In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this:"Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice
On June 20, John McCain delivered a 2,000-words speech to the Economic Club of Canada. In case you missed it, he's a paraphrased condensed version in outline form, with the word count allotted to each
Another milepost is passed in the fall of the house of Suzberger, as a major publisher of conservative books announces it will no longer send review copies to the New York Times. Roger Kimball, the es
Scott Johnson has a piece in the New York Post today taking Onama to task for being unaware of history and the law when it comes to terrorism:In his ABC interview last Monday, for example, Obama attac
Michael Totten is my favorite on line writer. Why? He constantly goes places that you and I would love to see but either don't have the cohones or the drive to get there. And once he's in these places
We shouldn't be surprised that a "scientist" who is an advocate for anthropogenic global warming theories wants to arrest and try oil company executives.Why? Because they fund research that spreads do
His politics were abhorrent. But if we were to judge people solely by their political views, the world would be a very boring place. George Carlin was a liberty loving, foul mouthed, ground breaking,
The Wall Street Journal thinks they are very close:Last week, an extraordinary leak revealed the fact that Israel had conducted massive military exercises in the waters off of Greece. The significance
Rather than crying "conspiracy!" let's chalk it up to bottom line journalism. For in the end, what drives news coverage in this country is the estimation of how many eyeballs will be glued to the set
If Hillary Clinton made "18 million" cracks in the glass ceiling during her campaign for the presidency, how much glass has George W. Bush shattered during his administration?The latest ceiling that h
The New Republic's Marty Peretz, who has been touting the candidacy of Barack Obama for many months now-even resorting to distorting the role of foreign pllicy adviser Robert Malley in Obama's campaig
Yes people are getting murdered in the streets and the opposition leader has been forced to take refuge in a foreign embassy.And yes, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is going to hold his sham runof
Former Democratic senator and perpetual presidential candidate John Edwards was the keynote speaker at the annual gathering of the radical group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Refor
Oh the twisted logic used by the U.N. to justify its biases and racism.  Just recently UNICEF and the  International Islamic Relief Organization (IRRO), a Saudi charity that has branches in 20 countri
Alaska's governor Sarah Palin - mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain sent a letter to Harry Reid telling him what needed to be done as far as helping to solve the energy crisis.In effe
This is one of the strangest and one of the most tragic stories to come out of Iraq since the war started.An Iraqi Council member - by all reports friendly and helpful to the American military - went
You have to wonder what will be going through each of their minds as they appear together on stage. Politics watchers will measure every move by each of them, looking for dissension or for signs of th
This piece by Bill Bennett and Seth Leibsohn at NRO reads more like an indictment than a top ten list.Suffice it to say, you won't see it on David Letterman's show anytime soon.Basically, it includes
The future just keeps getting dimmer and dimmer for American print journalists. As daily newspaper circulation and ad revenue plummet, newspapers are taking every possible avenue toward cost-cutting.
With so-called "housing bill" being debated, and the primacy of the economy as an issue in this year's election the hunt is on for the "sub-prime villain(s)." Taken together with the "Countrywide 6" s
For some time now Just One Minute's commenter jmh, Polarik at Townhall and others have examined the "birth certificate" for Obama published on the Daily  Kos site as well as the site Obama has establi
For some time now Just One Minute's commenter jmh, Polarik at Townhall and others have examined the "birth certificate" for Obama published on the Daily  Kos site as well as the site Obama has establi
This gives me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach:Steve Clemons is reporting that the Bush Administration plans to remove North Korea as a state sponsor of terror.This is the same North Korea t
Enter Ralph Nader, dropping the insight that, in his opinion, Obama "talks white." "He wants to appeal to white guilt," Nader says in an interview with M.E. Sprengelmeyer of the Rocky Mountain News. "
Are we condemned to walk the earth the next 4 or 8 years being forbidden to laugh at our own president?If the yucksters at Huffington Post have their way, such may very well be the case. Via Jammie We
Does anyone really believe Obama about why he isn't taking federal money?And allow me to knock down the straw man argument thrown up by Obama supporters that conservatives shouldn't complain because w
In a CQ Politics column, David Korn snidely asks, "Can a Guy (McCain) Who Doesn't Know How To Use a Computer Become President?" Reading the column my first thought was, "Can A Harvard Educated Lawyer
The hits just keep on coming. Another problem "Friend of Obama (FOO)" has been exposed and, just from a personal perspective, this one's a real headcase.His name is Martin Klonsky. Who, you might inqu
There have been over the last few years concerted efforts among pro-Palestinian activists, anti-Israel activists in various denominations to compel their governing bodies to take anti-Israel actions.
Yesterday, we asked the question "Who is Martin Klonsky?" It turns out Mr. Klonsky was another one of those radical acquaintences of Barack Obama who are only a "distraction" from the real issues of t
Could this be some kind of terrorist attack? Someone must have put something in the water drunk by members of the Spanish parliament. That's the only explanation I can think of that would justify this
In one of the most significant constitutional rulings handed down in many years, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, has ruled (opinion here) that individual Americans have a right to protect themselves
Here's a troubling report from WCBS, reporting on an interview that IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei gave on Al-Arabiya television June 20th: Iran Could Make Nuke In 6 Months. In the interview, ElBaradei
It's no secret that conservative Republicans, and even many moderates and independent voters, are not thrilled about John McCain being the GOP Presidential nominee. For some, this election will ultima
Is Justice Kennedy dishonest, delusional or simply misinformed in his opinion striking down the death penalty for child rape, claiming a "national consensus"? Maybe, given his internationalist orienta
Pardon Senator Obama but last year, he says he made an "inartful" statement on the DC gun ban. What exactly did our artfully challenged Obama have to say about it?With the Supreme Court poised to rule
The Arctic ice that is supposedly melting, stranding those cuddly looking polar bears, just might be affected by a wave of volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor under the Arctic ice cap. AFP reports o
The fact that the FISA bill successfully cleared the cloture hurdle in the Senate by a 80-15 margin, is significant. It shows that the Democrats, with an election looming, are finally ready to stop po
So the Irish voted against the deceptive "Lisbon Treaty" --- which is really the European Union Constitution. Der Spiegel is a fanatically anti-American German magazine that routinely trashes the Unit
Could it be that the scales are beginning to fall from the eyes of at least some in the media?This piece by McClatchy's Margaret Talev is offered here only to illustrate the point that there are some
As we read in this morning's Politico (McCain, GOP unleash anti-Obama plan) that the Right is coalescing around a unified message against Barack Obama, we simultaneously find that Obama is handing the
Mark Steyn has won a victory in his free speech fight in Canada. Ezra Levant reports :The Canadian Human Rights Commission, like any petty tyranny, has a strong instinct for survival. As I predicted l
Having intimidated the opposition sufficiently to drive off his remaining challenger to power, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said yesterday that he will be magnanimus to the opposition and "if" h
Who woulda thunk it?Just a few short months ago, Muqtada al-Sadr and his feared Mehdi Army controlled much of southern Iraq through a combination of political hardball and terror. We were told by the
Controversy swirls among conservative bloggers over questions that have been raised over the authenticity of Barack Obama's birth certificate posted at the Daily Kos and (a different one) posted at hi
For a candidate who touts a mantra of "Change" until people turn a little green around the gills whenever they hear it, Obama better be careful. Even a cursory examination of his record in Chicago as
Charles Krauthammer nails Barack Obama and his syncophants in the press to the wall in an Op Ed that details the candidate's many recent - and shocking - flip flops:Back then, in the yesteryear of pri
The UK's Independent has an article on climate change with the headline: "Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole". At first glance this is very distressing, but let's take a closer look.It seems unthinka
As newspaper circulation and advertising collapse at an accelerating pace, the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) publishes a study with the shocking news that sports columnists and
As the GOP in Congress appears about to be taking an "every man for himself" strategy for the fall elections, Gallup has just given the Republicans another gift (Americans Oppose Income Redistribution
An agreement that would allow the exchange of private data like credit card numbers, travel histories, and even internet browsing habits between America and Europe is close to being signed. Such an ag
All I can say after reading this Howard Kurtz piece in today's WaPo that if John McCain wins in November, he will have overcome the most incredible, one sided, blatantly biased reporting in the modern
Stuart Taylor, a respected liberal analyst at the National Journal, has called on his ideological soulmates to stop the witchhunts with regard to "war crimes" trials that many vindictive lefties wish
Soft American hearts have resulted in dead Iraqi citizens.    In a just released Iraqi al Qaeda video two Kuwaiti a lQaeda terrorists claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks in Mosul in M
I try to stay off of airplanes these days, but have logged 10,000 miles in the last month in spite of myself. So my eyes tend to linger on stories about aviation despite the aversion therapy being adm
It was, of course, inevitable. How could any politician rise so quickly on the legendarily corrupt Chicago political scene and be as pure as Obama's devoted followers were purporting him to be? The qu
I exchanged pleasantries with the owner of my neighborhood produce stand while purchasing her fresh tomatoes, onions and world's sweetest watermelon. Feeling the folks in line behind me getting annoye
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) has often been hyperbolic* in touting the candidacy of Barack Obama for President. He has stated that Barack Obama "loves Israel" based on a single 5-day visit -- a vi
Oh by all means, let's dramatically increase taxpayer financed foreign aid to Africa. I can't think of a more deserving bunch of kleptocrats in the world who would no doubt take your hard earned tax m
If he is, I predict an awful lot of disgruntled conservatives are going to be sitting on their hands on election day in November.But it is not a done deal yet - not by a long shot. Politico's Mike All
Sure looks that way although the fault may lie with an organized attempt by Obama activists to silence blogs that disagree with their candidate.The key to the shutdowns is found in the corner of every
Mexican soldiers in service to drug cartels attacked a rival who had fled his home in Juarez. The problem is, the rival had fled to Phoenix, Arizona and the soldiers crossed the border illegally and c
Over the period of our lives, we humans ought to learn more efficiently. But in so many ways, we keep sticking our fingers in the same light socket and yet each time we are subsequently surprised when
Despite oil billions flowing in at a record pace, Hugo Chavez's mismanagement of Venezuela has made him less popular than "progressives" theorize a champion of the poor should be. So Chavez naturally
A lot of unrepentant 60s radicals -- the type of people who used to reject electoral politics as a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee -- are supporting Barack Obama. Maybe they have all matured,
I wondered how the Democrats were going to cut McCain down to size when it came to national security because it is obviously Obama's biggest and most glaring weakness. It isn't that Obama only has a l
Senator Obama said the following in his prepared speech on patriotism Monday:  "I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others questio
Kudos to John L. Daly, who has written a very interesting study of ice at the North Pole. Global Warmists are once again observing cyclical changes and declaring them "proof" of the dire effects of gl
From the "I'll believe it when I see it" Department... This has so many holes in it, Swis cheese would seem whole by comparison. But the ramifications are so profound that it deserves to be reported -
Living down to his motto as the candidate of change, Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) has changed his mind again.  The most recent change is a campaign television ad on Bill Clinton's welfare refor
Yesterday's refusal to indict Joe Horn who shot and killed two men who were burglarizing his neighbor's home has already been noted for the media response it provoked. But the decision itself reaffirm
Last week when the Heller decision came down, Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley suggested that the states should repeal the 2nd amendment.Now those of us fortunate to live in Chicago or its beautiful subu
Making one's way across the country via airplane can be a hectic experience, what with long check-in lines, taking shoes on and off more times than during a visit to Foot Locker, trying to catch conne
It is almost an iron law of the MSM that the race and immigration status of criminals will not be identified if they are members of racial minorities or not in the country legally. Sometimes this aver
Wesley Clark's rebuke of Senator McCain's military service couldn't have come at a worse time for the Obama campaign (which may, or may not - depending on how conspiracy minded you are - prove that Cl
On Sunday, Wes Clark, who had been on Hillary Clinton's campaign list of advisers, seems to have adroitly switched sides to support Barack Obama and did so in a very maladroit way. He impugned the cha
You don't have to be a political rocket scientist to see that the McCain campaign has gotten off to something of a rough start. Obama has led with his chin on several occassions only to have McCain mi
Well, it's a start.The US will introduce a UN Security Council resolution condemning recent events in Zimbabwe and calls for sanctions on the government while demanding that President Robert Mugabe be
A blogger,  Caaflog, caught Justice Kennedy having made the biggest error in modern Supreme Court history that I can recall.  In the death penalty child rape case, when he said that the death penalty
No doubt that by sundown, this murderer will be lionized as a martyr by Palestinians from the West Bank to Gaza: Three women were killed and at least 30 more people were injured when a bulldozer drive
Want proof? Here's a Pew Survey on attitudes toward the energy crisis. Guess what action almost a majority of Americans favor to help bring down the cost of fuel?Amid record gas prices, public support
The Washington Post today reports on Barack and Michelle Obama's favorable mortgage terms obtained from Northern Trust in Chicago. The beneficial aspects of this mortage were first rpeorted in my arti
The Tawafaq Front - a coalition of Sunni parties in Iraq - has agreed to return to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The coalition walked out last summer after the parliament failed to
Uncle Jimbo at the Milblog Blackfive has an answer to those on the left who don't believe that John McCain's captivity gives him any special experience that is transferrable to the presidency: None wh
Ed Morrissey has a great post up at Hot Air about Obama's advisors giving three different answers to the question of where the candidate stands on Iraq in a matter of days.Reading what his advisers ar
Historian Thomas Madden has a tonic of a piece in the Wall Street Journal today, criticizing all those books that have been published the last few years on how America is in decline or even dying.Madd
Normally the weekly German news magazine toes an anti-American editorial line, but evidently it has enough integrity to admit that the facts on the ground in Baghdad show amazing progress. Bookworm po
With a plan that no doubt will quickly make it as a plot for a film about this improbable rescue, the Colombian military rescued former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans who
In light of this post I did yesterday about the McCain campaign and it's directionlessness and drift, word comes that the candidate has fired his campaign manager and replaced him with a seasoned pro:
The New York Times is upset that a McCain victory would have all sorts of dastardly implications for a "far right" Supreme Court. But the facts of this campaign simply doesn't bear that out and makes
Two blogs we highly regard - Powerline and Jewish Current Issues (JCI) - highlight today the budding career of a young Republican who has made quite a splash in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio; Josh M
So far, British intelligence is denying that their chief, Alex Allan, who chairs the Joint Intelligence Committee, is the victim of an assassination attempt after he was found in his home in a coma. B
This is an issue that isn't going away for the Obama campaign and unless they address it in an effort to put it to bed, it will become one of those "distractions" the candidate really hates: A few wee
Britain's most senior judge has endorsed the use of sharia law in the UK. The UK Daily Mail reports:The most senior judge in England yesterday gave his blessing to the use of sharia law to resolve dis
Obama's doing somersaults on all his positions including Iraq and the inimitable Iowahawk does his take on it. Here's a sample:You may have read recent news reports that suggest I have modified my pos
Former North Carolina Republican Senator Jesse Helms passed away early this morning. Robert Bluey of the Heritage Blog has the story:Conservative Sen. Jesse Helms, 86, a truly great American and champ
The daring rescue by the Colombian army of 3 Americans along with 11 members of the Colombian military and ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is being praised from one end of the western worl
A shocker from the paper that has all but promoted the candidacy of Barack Obama. They find some major league faults with the new Barack Obama. In the past the paper has all but deified Barack Obama.
"Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more. Amen, and amen" (Virginia Gazette, 1
Senator Jesse Helms might well be the most mis-understood, mis-cast and "mis-appreciated" figure in American politics today. I cringe as I think of the lies and half truths that will be told today by
A supposedly confidential World Bank report is said to blame biofuels demand for forcing world food prices up 75%. Aditya Chakrabortty of the UK Guardian, hardly a right wing publication, writes:  Bio
This story in today's Washington Post is an incredible indictment of not just Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the tactics he used to steal the election, but it also should bring shame to the Af
For convention planners from both parties, there is a unique problem they must deal with that is similar for both sides but carries different challenges as well.For the GOP, the problem is what to do
It's bad enough we have our own Obama worshippers here in the United States. But when Europeans catch the Obama bug, Americans who are thinking of voting for him should look long and hard at why the C
The Democratic race for president may have ended a month ago but there are clear signs among the rank and file that all is not well with former Hillary Clinton supporters.A CNN/Opinion Research poll r
In 2003 newspaper columnist Robert Novak wrote his now infamous "Mission to Niger" (published on July 14, 2003) in which he mentioned an allegedly failed attempt by Saddam Hussein to purchase uranium
Especially enjoying  all the freedoms of this fine country over the July 4th week end were all the immigrants and their descendants as they celebrated with glorious food from their ancestral homelands
The G-8 Summit gets underway tomorrow in a little Japanese resort town of Toyako which is battened down with 20,000 security personnel and 5,000 credentialed press safely ensconced 20 miles away.The u
Barack "Backtrack" Obama is "puzzled" by the reaction in the press to his two completely opposite statements he made last Thursday on Iraq and is blaming the McCain campaign for the confusion:ABC News
You stay classy, Bill Jeff:Bill Clinton is speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, and he said just now, apropos of almost nothing (actually, during a long peroration on Nelson Mandela): "Every living s
You're standing in line waiting for your flight to begin boarding as the arriving passengers debark. Suddenly one, two or perhaps a dozen or more military personnel come out off the plane and pass by
In a joint US-Iraqi operation that began in May in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul directed at al-Qaeda's last redoubt, the Times OnLine reports that the Iraqis have achieved a spectacular success an
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown won't be there. Neither will Germany's Angela Merkel. France's Nicolas Sarkozy says he will await the outcome of neogiations between the Chinese and the Dahli Lama
Dean Barnett noticed a stunning level of ignorance by Barack Obama about the command structure he seeks to head as commander-in-chief and blogged about it at The Weekly Standard. When Obama held his s
It is good to be reminded at times of the human cost of our effort in Iraq. And that cost is born by our nation's finest - and the scars are not always visible.In March,2003 a picture flashed around t
Demands for "tolerance" in the name of multiculturalism apply only to wealthy, predominantly white countries. And within them, only to whites.* A shocking situation in Denmark illustrates the point. T
In a sign that Arab countries may be starting to legitimize the Iraqi government, the United Arab Emirates has forgiven the entire $7 billion debt that Iraq owes the country:UAE President Sheikh Khali
Yes, I realize using a Nazi analogy is probably crossing a line somewhere but really, how else can you describe a candidate for President who eschews the forms and traditions of our democracy to subst
Dr. Tim Ball, a Canadian climatologist, debunks  the desperate attempts of global warmists to assign blame for bad weather to rising atmospheric CO2 in a worthwhile and very readable article in the Ca
This piece in today's New York Times on Obama's "experience" as a community organizer in Chicago back in the 1980's is indicative of Obama's penchant for talking big with little to back it up:Mr. Obam
It seems that despite the media-targeted love-fest in Unity, New Hampshire a week and a half ago, the Hillary-Obama marriage of convenience hasn't really taken off. CNN posted the following story on i
In the deadliest attack since the Taliban fell, 40 people were killed when a car bomb exploded in front of the Indian embassy:The massive explosion detonated by a suicide bomber damaged two embassy ve
The Seventies have returned in all of their glory, with inflation looming, high gas prices, alternative fuels, CAFE standards, and now, you guessed it, an attempt to bring back the 55 mile per hour sp
A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times published an exciting story about how the CIA broke 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaik Mohammed. The hero of the story was a nondescript CIA interrogator who astoni
In order to save money, a rural school district in Minnesota has opted for a four day school week, running Tuesday to Friday. Now comes the hard part.KSTP TV reports that one hour will be added on to
Feasting on 19 course dinners while discussing the world wide food crisis might seem a little hypocritical to some. But what else are these useless shindigs like the G-8 Summit for except to party dow
This headline from Bloomberg, picked up by Drudge, says all any voter needs to know about post racial, post-ideology Sen Barack Obama (D-IL)."Obama's Voting Record Complicates His Shift to Political C
Reacting to several recent studies which have shown bio-fuels contributing to the current world food crisis as well as deforestation and other climate change factors, the European Union is going to cu
The nightmare scenario of the Obama campaign involves Hillary Clinton giving a cracking good speech the first or second night of the convention and then stampeding some Obama delegates to vote for her
The Democratic Party has announced that Barack Obama, who claims he will close corporate tax loopholes to pay for other proposals, will not accept the party's presidential nomination at the site where
It's not making news because after all, reporting on the messiah's mixed race upbringing and sterling oratory makes for so much better copy.But someone, someday in the major media is going to wake up
It's amusing to see how politically correct newspapers invariably tiptoe around certain aspects of certain gay lifestyles. Consider, for example, an article in Monday's Boston Herald about how angry o
Remember the name "Leon Klinghoffer?" He was a wheelchair bound American Jew on a cruise ship called the Achille Lauro when it was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists back in 1985. Klinghoffer never ma
The MSM continues gliding over the more controversial aspects of Obama's life, pretending they don't exist or just ignoring them.  For example, in last Sunday's  Washington Post  front page profile en
Sen. Barack Obama's hubris knows no bounds. He demands that Americans overcome our xenophobic racism to bestow upon him the greatest office in the free world, despite his continued demonstration that
Liberals can now relax.  Fox News can now be added to my Media Dishonesty Matters list of 101 incidents, making the new list 102.  A common gripe about my list was, "Where is Fox?"  Well, up until Jul
Despite urging from the candidate himself, Barack Obama's big campaign donors are not rushing to help Hillary Clinton retire her $20 million debt:As Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton prepare for their first
Well, not directly of course. President Ahmadinejad has already said he'd meet with McCain or Obama. I can't recall whether that was before or after the little troll said he would "burn" Israel and th
American Thinker has long noted that many leading Democrats seem to have a special warm spot for Hugo Chavez, the increasingly dictatorial President of Venezuala. He is a supporter of the FARC terrori
Totalitarians don't seem to have this problem.It seems that Obama's little deviation from the original convention script that will have him speaking before 80,000 adoring, fainting, orgasming people a
On business trip to Europe, wile sharing a drink with a co-worker in the lobby of our Vienna Hotel the conversation was disrupted by a steadily rising thump of bass notes from the street outside.  A m
After recently adding Fox News  to the Media Dishonesty Matters list , an alert reader and the morning news indicate two more entries should be added.  New entry 103 is Al Gore, Jr. and new entry 104
Not that she's ever completely left the scene, but Hillary's stock - already pretty low - had been sinking the last few weeks as other Democrats ascended the all important short list for Obama's Vice
Of all the low down, sneaky, dishonest political tricks, this one takes the cake.Obama has had a sudden case of the regrets over exposing his children to the Access Hollywood cameras who had come to t
No, it's really not that much of a story as I point out here. But it reveals the fear that Jackson and other racialists like Al Sharpton feel with regard to Obama and the threat he poses to their litt
T. Boone Pickens, the legendary Texas oilman, has been on a bit of a media blitz over the past few days, promoting wind-power, of all things. This isn't a new cause for Pickens -- he's a proponent of
Robert Wexler, Barack Obama's leading Congressional cheerleader and the man who has worked mightily to convince supporters of the American-Israel alliance that Obama can be relied upon to enhance Isra
As the daughter of immigrants who diligently studied to learn English,  who made sure I learned to speak and write the language  properly and who sacrificed their hard earned money so I could learn my
While the Global Poverty Act of 2007 could come up for a vote in the Senate at any time,  the good news is that its huge potential price tag would require, it seems, further legislative action if it p
NRO's Jim Geraghty delivers another example of Barack Obama's glib political opportunism and inability to follow through and deliver hope or change, with a link to a Chicago Sun Times article on how a
It can be argued that Barack Obama won his Senate seat in 2004 on the back of his opposition's divorce files. While much ado was made nationally of the contents of his Republican Senate opponent Jack
No one would have thought it possible a few months ago when Obama was raking in $40 million a month. But all signs from the Obama campaign point to a significant slowdown in fundraising both on the we
How do journalism schools manage to keep training youngsters for an industry where employment is collapsing?Over the last few decades, newspapers and wire services have fewer Americans as foreign corr
Another oddity of the Obama campaign: the candidate hadn't really bothered to visit very much of America, prior to deciding to become its leader. The New York Times brings us the heart-warming story o
A great new 8th Circuit en banc (rehearing by the full court) opinion was delivered yesterday.  It was simply a denial of Planned Parenthood's attempt to get a preliminary injunction to stay enforceme
It would be the mother of all bailouts if it came to pass - hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars used to shore up the two largest mortgage companies in the United States - Fannie Mae and Freddie M
In case you hadn't noticed, there is a full fledged, trans-atlantic kerfluffle going on over Barack Obama's request to deliver a major address at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate - a cold war icon but now a
Representative Charles Rangel has represented the 15th Congressional district in New York city since 1971 when he defeated the legendary Adam Clayton Powell in the Democratic primary. The district enc
I suppose the former senator and former chairman of mortgage giant USB might have a hard time understanding the average American's fears and anxieties about the economy. After all, Phill Gramm's idea
This week’s Idiotic Race Sensitivity Award goes to Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price. Dallas County Commissioners are facing a $35 million budget shortfall.  And, they hold 618,000 unpaid tr
It appears that the North Koreans have agreed to allow intrusive inspections of its plutonium creating sites to assure the international community that they are being dismantled.The Washington Post is
The new Newsweek poll that came out yesterday showed Obama's numbers dropping like a stone. This is just the latest in a series of surveys which show that despite factors that would ordinarily make th
This may be a first in the history of the United States Senate. Federal regulators have cited New York Senator Charles Schumer as the proximate cause for the run on mortgage giant Indymac's deposits.
By now everyone has seen the ads from T. Boone Pickens pushing his latest project at PickensPlan.com, which promotes wind power, and downplays oil. Here are a few excerpts from his website:America is
Former White House Press Secretary for President Bush Tony Snow died early this morning, a victim of a reoccuring cancer that may have dimmed his health but never his spirit.Snow was one of the few co
For those few Americans who decided to desert their comrades by running off to Canada prior to their deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan and who thought that the Canadian government would give them a sa
Occasionally here at AT, we like to highlight idiocy from officials that is so sublime in its illogic and ignorance that the rest of us just sit there, mouth agape, and wonder at how such a dumb brute
A heat wave is now scorching California and Texas -- giving global warming advocates yet more ammunition to support their contention of impending climatic catastrophe. Yet 72 years ago today -- on Jul
The TimesOnline is reporting that the federal government is preparing to inject a combined $15 billion transfusion of liqiudity into Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to keep the two "government sponsored en
Via American Thinker Political Correspondent Rich Baehr, we get an interesting update on the race as well as a look at how the odds for GOP Vice Presidential nominee are shaping up.Baehr finds a lot o
You're on the road to eternity, huroo, huroo,Your spirit's flown your soul is free, huroo, huroo,With wringin' hands and tearful eyes,We pray you hear our mournful cries,And we all feel so sad today,B
The TimesOnline has Bush fundraiser and a member of his Homeland Security Advisory Council Stephen Payne on tape offering a reporter posing as a representative of an "exiled former central Asian presi
With violence down to levels not seen since the beginning of the war, the Pentagon is considering the withdrawal of additional American forces from Iraq beginning in September. This would be in additi
A long, yet unsatisfyingly incomplete article in the current issue of The New Yorker about Barack Obama's Chicago roots, lauding him for many things that might be considered non-laudable, was a passin
At the American-Israeli Public Affairs Conference (AIPAC) meeting last month in Washington, Barack Obama said he supported the idea of Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capitol."That was then. This is
Barack Obama has an op-ed in this morning's New York Times: My Plan for Iraq. It's just priceless. I thank him for timing it to accompany my article today, "Iraq and the Surrounding Region, As Obama W
Just drill, baby...President Bush is going to announce that he is lifting an executive order that banned  offshore drilling in the United States. This in and of itself won't start the drilling. Congre
Don't blame this on the commies because the rules banning posters and banners with a political or religious message were promulgated by the super-annuated mummies that make up the International Olympi
This New York Sun editorial today "Obama and the AFT" is an eye opener regarding the candidate's hypocritical stance on school vouchers.The editorial points out that while Obama has said in the past t
An interesting nugget from Newsweek's cover story on Obama and his faith:As young marrieds, Barack and Michelle (who also didn't go to church regularly as a child) went to church fairly often-two or t
I think Senator Lieberman 's critique of Obama's pre-fact finding tour  statement on Iraq is on the mark:Senator Obama this morning said that he wants a foreign policy that is “tough, smart, and princ
American Enterprise Institute (AEI),  the highly regarded Washington think tank has named Arthur Brooks as it's eleventh president. Brooks replaces Christopher DeMuth who wraps a more than two decade
Q: How many feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: That's Not Funny! [Note: Michael Savage's producer has demanded that we acknowledge prior use of the phrase "Alfred E. Obama" earlier by
This Washington Post-ABC News poll shows surprising support for John McCain's Iraq policy of removing our troops based on conditions on the ground and not as a result of a hard and fast timetable that
The story behind Obama's editorial (My Plan For Iraq") just keeps on getting better and better. The candidate's premise for his op-ed is that Iraq's Prime Minister has asked for a solid timetable for
American Thinker Political Correspondent Rich Baehr sent along a blog post from the site "538" and my jaw nearly hit the floor.To date, the largest and most successful "ground game" in the history of
Tony Snow died young, left behind a family, and at the height of his earning potential, took a comparatively low-paying job in the White House. As a result, his children's financial future is by no me
Having won the Democratic nomination by pandering to the left wing base of the party, Obama had a choice.He could play the role of George McGovern and keep faith with his liberal principles, being che
The Washington Post political columnist Chris Cillizza writes about a very effective ad campaign started by Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota that may hold promise not just for Coleman (who faces a we
I suppose I should by now be inured to the news the academics, NGOs and scientific organizations are often agenda-driven propagandists and not truth seekers, but this report cinches it: A recent missi
Gallup is reporting that their latest Congressional Approval poll has resulted in the lowest approval rating for Congress ever recorded: 14%.PRINCETON, NJ -- Congress' job approval rating has dropped
A common response of the Democrats when confronted with citizens advocating for increased offshore drilling is that the results are "years off into the future" and therefore any relief on gas prices w
There is no more debilitating economic disease than high inflation. It saps the will to save while causing ordinary people to fear the future.Last month, consumer prices rose 1.1%. That's the highest
Is the scientific debate over on global warming?  Not according to the American Physical Society* in this year's July's issue of Physics and Society ."With this issue of Physics & Society, we kick off
Don't look now but Pakistan is apparently about to be in for a very rude awakening.After years of frustration in dealing with the Paksistani's reluctance to go after the Taliban and al-Qaeda sanctuari
It appears that our efforts to control C02 emissions may be misguided, as the real culprit in global warming could be cows. The UK's Daily mail has the story.Argentine scientists are taking a novel ap
Obama won't debate John McCain in free-form Townhall settings, so he is jetting off to Europe, where millions of liberal suckers will fall down, kiss the ground, and worship him. He figures he deserve
Is it possible that Obama's recent spate of flip flops has so damaged his reputation as a man of principle that the voters now see him as something less than a savior of America?If this New York Times
There are some dark clouds in Obama land today. Politico is reporting that many Democrats are disgusted with the way Obama is running his campaign.One Democrat said "“They think they know what’s right
When I first read that the State Department was sending  William Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, to attend a meeting with the European Unions' policy chief and Iran's nuclear ne
The staggering implications of another embarrassing Obama statement would remain unexplored, with the public record obscured, were it not for a video clip of one of his speeches posted to the web and
The former Rabbi for the Israeli army, when receiving the bodies of two fallen Israeli soldiers from Hezb'allah said "[T]he verification process yesterday was very slow, because, if we thought the ene
Recently, after reading an excellent article at American Thinker, I decided to take a glimpse at Senator Obama's education plan.  This plan is presented in a more detailed format in a document titled
Now that Obama has eschewed federal financing of his campaign, he is entirely beholden to his supporters for money to run his campaign.He thinks he can raise $200-$300 million between now and Septembe
What do Islamic radicals think when Western-style governments show their soft side? Just look at the reaction to the recent prisoner and body swap between Israel and Hezbollah, in which Israel receive
Liberal media outlets are anxious to deny that Barack Obama has a problem with support from Jewish voters. Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic derisively employed the term "Jewish Problem" (a historically l
Israel's uneven "swap" with terror group Hezbollah --  five imprisoned  terrorists for two dead Israeli solidiers -- provoked gloating and celebrations among Hezbollah yesterday. The return of the sla
Obama apparently isn't much of a cyclist.  But he is a runner.  In fact, Obama is a world-class runner. Jim Geraghty at National Review's Campaign Spot blog put together an impressive list, chroniclin
Today's state of the race:Rasmussen: 3 point pickup for McCain in one day. Race now tied at 46. McCain obviously had a huge night yesterday. Rasmussen poll is average of 3 days. Check out the trendlin
This article  (in the New York Times, no less) makes clear that bias is effecting the campaign of Barack Obama. But it is not the bias that first might come to mind. Instead of racial bias, we have on
Eager to disassociate himself-at least optically-from the far left activists of his party, presumptive Democratic nominee stiffs the annual convention of Netroots Nation. In contrast to past behavior,
McCain spent about half of his speech yesterday to the N.A.A.C.P. outlining his education plans for America. The audience heard an approach much different than the plan proposed by Senator Obama.McCai
A revolution may be occurring in big city schools.  I learned this from Charlie Rose's recent interview of a truly remarkable educator, Michelle Rhee, who has taken on reform of the Washington DC Scho
After reading the article on Barack Obama's foreign policy team in the New York Times this morning (A Cast of 300 Advises Obama on Foreign Policy by Elisabeth Bumiller), I didn't know if I should laug
It appears that Osama Bin Laden's driver and bodyguard, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, will go on trial as scheduled on Monday. A federal judge denied a request to postpone the trial to give Hamdan's lawyers tim
I have previously discussed briefly the movement by foolish foodies to politicize food production. Their efforts include a program to boycott food not grown locally. Art Carden of the Ludwig von Mises
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has called George Bush "a total failure" as president.It is at moments like this that I truly wish I had a better grasp of the English langua
And now let's take an inconvenient truth tour of the home Al Gore returns to after a long, hard day on the do as I say not what I do lecture/media circuit, courtesy of Peter Schweizer, writing in USA
In a series of recent stories that has gotten virtually no mainstream media coverage, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his fellow Democrats in both the Senate and the House seem to be saying ‘If
Charles Krauthammer has an excellent column on Barack Obama today in which he exposes the candidate's extraordinary narcissism.It's a given that Obama has no record of achievement that would qualify h
Deathly news for the religion of Global Warming. Looks like at least one prominent scientific group has changed its mind about the irrefutability of evidence regarding man made climate change.The Amer
Deathly news for the religion of Global Warming. Looks like at least one prominent scientific group has changed its mind about the irrefutability of evidence regarding man made climate change.The Amer
Now for a modern  twist on the philosophical puzzle questioning if a tree falls in the forest but no one hears it does the tree still make a sound?  If a presidential candidate takes a trip but the MS
Barack Obama has never been President, but he plays one on TV. The TV newsies find this utterly world-shaking, which is why the three major networks are sending their prime-time anchors along with the
The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley has penned a letter to the President of the American Physical Society demanding that an offensive disclaimer to one of his papers be removed from the APS website or
Of course, it always helps when your former rival pledges to raise money for your campaign. But it seems pretty clear that John McCain and Mitt Romney are getting closer personally after a bruising ca
Ever wonder (in your worst nightmares) what it might be like to live in a totalitarian state like China?This is the kind of power government has in the Communist country - they are shutting down a mod
On Sunday, July 13, a remote combat outpost near the village of Wanat in Afghanistan's rugged Kunar province on the Pakistan border was nearly overrun by a combined force of some 200 Taliban and Al Qa
Are the signs of increased violence in Pakistan/Afghanistan a sign hat AQ is on its last legs, and that they have lost their grip in the Arab world? Ralph Peters, writing in the New York Post, thinks
It is doubtful that too many ordinary Afghans know or care who Barack Obama is. Nevertheless, the messiah disembarked in Kabul this morning after a brief stop in Kuwait to visit the troops. He is sche
While the library and public policy institute's eventual at SMU was a foregone conclusion, the result of this vote is a satisfying victory not only for academic inquiry in general and Southern Methodi
The nation is worried. Comedians from New York to LA are trying to figure out if they are allowed to make jokes about Barack Obama. Or even if they can think of any. REPORT about guy who said 20 times
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told a German newsmagazine that he supported the idea of American troops leaving Iraq within the 16 month time frame proposed by Barack Obama.Maliki said "U.S. pre
Just when our national humor crisis seemed to be at its lowest point, with comedy writers unable to conceive of anything to mock about Barack Obama, the satirical newspaper The Onion has risen to the
Get out your handkerchiefs. Poor Michelle Obama apparently is now the emblem of the victimization of all black women. A media campaign is underway, ever since the candidate denounced criticism of his
Via the excellent site Watching America comes an editorial in Financial Times Deutschland that asks some pertinent questions of their countrymen who are about to turn out in droves to see the messiah:
I have been following politics for my entire adult life and before - more than 40 years - and I thought I had seen it all.I've seen triumph and tragedy. Low comedy and high drama. The lowest skunks an
You might have read recently about baby penguins dying in Rio de Janeiro.  For example, CBS News  reported that"Hundreds of baby penguins swept from the icy shores of Antarctica and Patagonia are wash
My, what a difference a couple of years make.It was two summers ago that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited Washington and addressed a joint session of Congress.Except there were quite a few
There has been much a do about the supposed parallels between John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. These comparisons (charismatic speaker who fills his speeches with inspiring rhetoric, although Obama's
I just learned of the following letter from Don Fowler and Alice Germond, he formerly of the DNC and she presently the Secretary of that organization. [editor's note: we have no copy of this letter ou
Somewhere during this campaign the old news media reached the tipping point and their bias meter slid into the red zone. Have their owners considered the possible unintended consequences of this? Some
The Drudge Report and Fox News are reporting today that the New York Times has denied an opinion piece from Senator John McCain after publishing Senator Barack Obama's op-ed last week. The Drudge link
Fox News has this headline:Obama "Never" Has Doubts About Foreign Policy Experience Logan: Do you have any doubts? Obama: Never. Golly. I don't think Abraham Lincoln would have said that he never had
With the practical collapse of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac upon us, a good measure of the political bias of the media is who they're claiming is responsible. After all, those two govern
While analysts are still trying to digest Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's embrace of Barack Obama's 16 month timetable for withdrawal (despite a White House sponsored effort to get Maliki to withdraw
It appears that Team Obama didn't want to offend any Muslim sensibilities on his trip to the Middle East. The campaign issued a dress code for female reporters last week that showed just how patronizi
It's an established fact that the drive-by media is supporting Barack Obama's candidacy this election cycle (just ask previous media fave Hillary Clinton). But in the last few weeks, as Obama attempts
Ed Lasky echoes my own thoughts here:The question is not just about one more gaffe but the arrogance that is on display when he repeatedly proclaims that he will be President for two terms. I have bee
Many of us seem to get caught up in the day to day tug of war of the presidential race, worrying whether the "people" will "understand" the true nature of this event or that one.The unspoken premise m
The Obama cover was still popping up yesterday in week-in-review commentaries.   Obama and crew are such an utterly humorless bunch.   One thing that had not come up in all the words that have spilled
Senator Barack Obama is beginning his glory tour of Europe and the Mideast, two areas of the world that would be natural for him to visit as he is chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee'
With the major media in full swoon mode -- every network anchor covering the Obama trip, and only one reporter following John McCain to New Hampshire Monday night, the polls should be moving strongly
A controversial disclaimer the American Physical Society added days after publication to a scientific paper they had solicited from Christopher Monckton was toned down sometime yesterday in response t
Barack Obama has now gone where no Democrat has gone before.In an interview for ABC's Nightline last night, Obama had this exchange:When asked if he is committed to winning the war in Iraq, Obama said
Advertising Age profiles the New York Times today and reveals that the newspaper is planning to beef up its business coverage, as the Wall Street Journal moves in on the general news market:As it happ
I know, I know. Criticizing Michelle Obama is off limits. The Goddess can't have her hair mussed because besides her well known absolute moral authority is the fact that anything that pours forth from
Politico is reporting this but I'm not believing it. The Associated Press used to be - in its heyday - a reliable source for unvarnished news. They had to be. Hundreds of newspapers across the country
NY Times political blogger Kate Phillips reports on the behind the scenes arrogant thinking of the NY Times' editors who rejected Senator John McCain's potential Op-Ed.  After David Shipley, the NY Ti
ScotusBlog reports that Louisiana has filed a motion for rehearing in the Supreme Court respecting its decision  detremining it was unconstitutional to impose the death penalty for conviction of the c
There's a very disturbing article by Martin Kady II in this morning's edition of the Politicio, GOP senators scramble for life boats. Here's a brief excerpt:Republican Senate leaders -- terrified by t
What happens when your congressman is pro-Israel and thinks Hamas is a terrorist organization?  Well, if you happen to run the public relations firm that organized Jimmy Carter's visit to Syria to mee
One of Barack Obama's strongest Congressional supporters may not even be a resident of the district he has represented in Congress.  Robert Wexler, a Democrat, is being accused by his Republican oppon
Ever since Bob Novak wrote a column saying that the McCain campaign would make a decision this week on the Vice Presidential running mate, speculation has been building. Romney figured prominently but
They meet surreptitiously in bars, restaurants, and private homes. They live in constant fear that they might be discoverd. If they were, it might mean the virtual end to their careers. They never spe
Senator Obama seems to be engaging in the same type of moral relativism that is at the heart of the failure to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Jennifer Rubin, writing in Commentary Contentio
I was interested to see that I and many readers here at AT weren't the only ones who have been noticing Obama putting on incredibly arrogant airs with regards to his presumed "inevitability" as the ne
After the NY Times rejected John McCain's op-ed the NY Post, a tabloid paper, printed  it with the following explanation EDITORS' NOTE: The New York Times wouldn't print this oped from the GOP candida
The scientific and mathematical details of Viscount Monckton's paper may be beyond the layman; however this paragraph near the end stands out and is comprehendible to all:"It is of no little significa
Many observers considered the press frenzy over the Senator Obama trip as one more data point of evidence about media bias in favor of Obama. The shear number of references to the"historic" or "unprec
Obama gave his long awaited speech in Berlin today. It was much ado about nothing. With classic Obama arrogance, he appropriated Ronald Reagan's rhetoric seeming to think that he was being original. T
Democrats: Party of the common man, right? Democrats: The party who support extended voting rights to all people of America - even illegal immigrants (on the local level of voting). Democrats: The par
On his if-it's-Wednesday-this-must-be-Israel photo op tour, Barack Obama seems to have forgotten about life back home in the US of A;  about what he said  and about his responsibilities as Senator.  “
Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist, has repeatedly supported and proclaimed the innocence of Sami Al-Arian ( a University of Florida indicted for helping fund the Palestinian Islamic Jihad ter
Certain precincts of the left are upset that conservative bloggers notice the creepy resemblance between Obama propaganda art and that of assorted demagogues. Now he is in Berlin, speaking at Hitler's
To guarantee a large turnout for his whatever in  Berlin, Obama's campaign has printed German language flyers with Obama's picture and logo plus added a German-English Berlin event page on his campaig
"When will they start laughing at him?" is still the biggest question about Obama in Europe. Berliners have a long tradition of laughing at pompous conquering heroes, including Hitler. Berliners immed
At least one mainstream media cartoonist is using the funnies to spin political history away from the facts.We saw two versions of Michelle Obama's infamous or famous statement, depending on your pers
While the New York Times continues on its self-destructive path, the role of the grown-up liberal in the media business now belongs solely to the Washington Post. The paper proves that once again this
Gerard Baker, US Editor for the TimesOnline is a voice of reason and humor in an otherwise anti-American European press.Today, his column reads like passages from the bible as he sends up Barack Obama
Barack Obama gave us more than some magnificent photo-ops when he spoke in Berlin yesterday. By trying to look presidential, he revealed more then he intended to about his operating style - long on gl
Susan Estrich ran the Dukakis campaign in 1988 and knows a thing or two about the press and politics.In an article at RealClearPolitics, Estrich gives the real explanation for the media's love affair
Of all the cynical, hypocritical moves made by the Obama campaign, these one strains the imagination.Here's Obama at the very beginning of his speech:I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have
Obama's somewhat vapid, cliche ridden speech in Germany yesterday included a curious references to "new walls" erected to "divide us from one another:"The walls between old allies on either side of th
In Berlin, Obama was just making up facts! His fiction about Belfast is even worse than his story about Airlift flights turning back.As mistakes go, I would say this is the ultimate.  A prepared speec
(With apologies to Julia Ward Howe and her revered Battle Hymn of the Republic)Mine eyes have seen the stories from Obama's media horde;They are trampling out what sanity their liberal brains once sto
Since Mr. Eurobama is so popular on the other side of the Pond, and since he is clearly the Euros' pick in our Presidential contest, I'm just wondering whether we are still going to be stuck paying hi
Journalists and leftists love to hate Rush Limbaugh, all the while consumed with envy of his success. Journalists are an insecure and unhappy lot these days, and for good reason, as further budget cut
It seems that John McCain may finally be abandoning his "take it easy on Barack" approach to campaigning that was allowing the Democrat to walk all over him without getting much of an in kind response
In a piece expertly slanted toward a point of view that supports the idea of showing dead bodies of Americans on the battlefield, the New York Tiimes complains about not being able to publish the bull
I am tempted to start a regular weekly blog post featuring the funniest "news" report on Obama that shows the reporter in the tank for the candidate.Even if I don't, this story by a German reporter fo
I would give her chances of being chosen at 100-1 but the fact that Obama's vetters are even looking at Ann Veneman, former Bush Agricultural Secretary, proves that the Democrats are looking more for
I was talking with my nephew who is now old enough to drive and is selecting his first personal vehicle.  Reviewing his options, I asked if he had considered the Smart Car or any of the other micro-mi
A stray cat had kittens in our yard. My wife attempted to barricade the kittens in a contained area to protect them from predators. Short of caging them, this proved impossible. The rambunctious kitte
Odd, that as Europe's left is having a hard time staying alive, much of  this country seems enamored of the most radically leftist presidential candidate ever.It's gotten so bad in the UK, Labour is c
This piece in the TimesOnline seems to indicate that thanks to tremendous pressure from the west, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's closest ally has deserted him and has given him an ultimatum: Leave
Gee..I wonder if this foreign travel is the same type of Congressional trip Obam has disparaged in the past? Or did he enjoy this trip because it paid political benefits for him?What has been little r
For your reading pleasure this morning, I thought I would include something of my own creation. A "Top Ten" of things that really creep me out about Obama.One must be careful when criticizing the mess
In a Chicago Sun-Times piece published today  , Rabbi  Arnold Wolf again praises Barack Obama and vouches for him when it comes to his foreign policy and views towards Israel. He also claims to have b
London's Evening Standard reports that when Obama visited a school in Kogelo. Kenya in 2006 he told principal Yuanita Obiero and her teachers "I know you are working very hard and struggling to bring
Best appreciated when humming the tune of the popular Civil War song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again," or the Irish folk classic, "Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye."Also, with sincere apologies to my
That phrase is used to describe Valerie Jarrett, the as-yet little known key adviser to Barack Obama. A long profile of Ms. Jarrett by Don Terry of the Chicago Tribune reveals some interesting data on
I nearly dropped my bowl of Rice Krispies when I saw this article this morning. Since it's AP, I will only give you a bare snippet but you simply must read it because 1) the source; and 2) what this n
As a counter to Barack Obama's call to tear down walls, it would help to review the e-mail from a Marine printed in Andrew Sullivan's column in The Atlantic Magazine April 30, 2007. "But speaking of c
In the eighth year of the third millennium, near the time the earth's Great Cooling began, a London town crier called Gerard the Baker heralded the coming of the Child who was the Anointed One. The Lo
Back in June I  wrote about the situation in Pakistan and the Taliban fractionalization we had predicted at the American Thinker last year: We predicted that some Taliban tribes would split from al Qa
John Edwards has a new infomercial being broadcast on PBS's "NOW"!  Sponsored unwittingly by taxpayers, it was taped before the scandal over his alleged "love child" broke (partially) into the news. T
Selig Harrison writes a column that ran in the current Newsweek (the Obama campaign's house organ) that channels the views of the Iranian regime about the preconditions they would demand of President
After spending millions of dollars in key battleground states this summer, it appears that Barack Obama has not improved his numbers in any substantial way and may have lost ground in some places.This
Two articles in the last week indicate just how far some attitudes about education have shifted away from something students work for and toward it being a birthright, an entitlement.  Somewhat parado
Despite their worries about unseemly displays of affection for a politician whose campaign they must cover, the minority journalists assembled at the "Unity" convention in Chicago managed to confine t
Their organization has been smashed but al-Qeada proved today that they are still capable of mounting a coordianted suicide attack on Iraqi civilians.Evidently, they are once again using women as the
It's being called a flip flop by the left and indeed, McCain has been opposed to these state initiatives that ban preferences in academics and government contracts as well as other areas where minorit
Ho hum.  Iran conducted its largest mass execution for many years, hanging 29 people for drugs smuggling and murder. Oh sure, Amnesty International made a weak complaint but the UN has not held an eme
No sooner did "The Operative Word is Hubris" appear in yesterday's AT than yet more evidence turned up confirming Barack Obama's status as a millennial-era version of the ancient Greek victim of runaw
Well, the Republicans have just given the Democrats another electoral gift. Republican Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted  by a Federal Grand Jury.Anyone who paid attention to political coverage of
With apologies to Darrel Huff and his famous book of the same title, today's papers provide a wonderful demonstration of how the mainstream press - in this case, The New York Times, can use real stati
We have more details on how Congressman Robert Wexler -- for whom no liberal spending program is too much -- has gamed the tax system for his benefit:Accusing U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of being more of
It's a good guess but frankly, the Israeli defense officials who are saying that recent talks between Iran and the US are nothing more than a smokescreen by America to legitimize an attack later have
Liberal economist Dean Baker at the American Prospect points out the obvious. While the projected $490 billion deficit is a "record" in number of dollars, it isn't close to the record in the only stat
Majority Leader Harry Reid is feeling the heat on the offshore drilling issue. He and Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingham have crafted a bill that would open nearly a billion
Jim Geraghty at NRO's Campaign Spot says an "announcement is coming very soon" from the McCain camp about the Veep spot and Jim's source says it's Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: A source tells me th
Looks like Obama traveled all that way for nothing. Despite unbelievably positive press coverage with reporters and anchors slavering over the candidate while spectacular visuals were plastered from o
Jamie Gorelick writes an op-ed complaining about the politicization of the Department of Justice regarding the recruitment of U.S. Attorneys during the Bush Administration. She makes it appear as if t
Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid attempted to bring up for a vote what was being referred to as the "Tomnibus" bill -- an omnibus spending bill comprised of 35 separate bills that were bei
From the depths of liberal Hollywood, Academy Award winning actor Jon Voigt expresses thoughts not too common from that part of the country, that industry in a Washington Times Op Ed  The Democratic P
Well, it seems like some Texans -- anticipating the prospect of an Obama presidency -- are stocking up on firearms. According to the Austin American-Statesman:This summer, sales at McBride's Guns in A
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his intention to step down from leadership of Israel, and polls show that Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu may emerge as the next Prime Minister
We tried shaming the Pakistani government a few years ago by doing this exact same thing; having a high level official deliver an intelligence assessment of activities and connections between the Paki
Roughly a week has passed since the National Enquirer revealed what it alleged to be evidence of John Edwards and his love child. The Enquirer had confronted Edwards in the early hours of the morning,
Yes we joke around about the messiah's "Messiah" complex here at AT. No one can run for President without at least being a little full of themselves.But then I read this piece by Jonathon Weisman at T
Moody's Investor's Services, the bond rating agency, has notified the New York Times Company that its bond rating may decline, according to Editor & Publisher. Without changing the current Baaa3 ratin
In a prelude of what will almost certainly be a serious drive for reparations, the House of Representatives apologized for the "fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a talk on Tuesday afternoon to a largely (90%) female -- and probably Democratic -- audience of admirers at the 92nd Street YMHA-YWHA in New York. Ms. Pelosi came
This article in the New York Times is a must read for those still trying to understand what makes the candidate tick. It details Obama's hiring as law professor at the University of Chicago and the im
Volokh Conspiracy's David Bernstein, a law professor at George Mason University,  poses an interesting question: did the University of Chicago lower its standards when they offered him a spot on its l
Was Barack Obama offered a tenured position at the University of Chicago Law School? Why don't law professors there remember such an offer?The New York Times was the latest source to indicate that he
The newspaper industry apparently has a death wish. After enduring a number of scandals of large papers fraudulently inflating circulation figures, it is now giving advertisers more reasons to be susp
As Barack Obama's search for a running mate enters the final stages, it is becoming more and more clear that whatever shot Hillary Clinton had of joining the ticket, it is now a vritual certainty that
This is madness. How can we go back to the days when talk radio was virtually banned due to requirements under the Fairness Doctrine? What would happen to political discussions on cable news if the ne
On July 12th of this year, just two and a half weeks ago, noted economist and Messiah Barack Obama stated to an adoring crowd in San Diego that the country is in a recession. Here's the quote, from an
In August of 2006, Barack Obama journeyed to his ancestral village in Kenya in order to discover his roots and visit family members. He was received as a hero and feted by the town's folk who turned o
In a welcome reversal of history, where coffee houses were associated with Beatnicks and then with Millenials, there is now a coffee shop opens for us conservatives. There is now a cafe that serves up
John Edwards allegedly has been funneling $15,000 a month in hush money/child support to his mistress Rielle Hunter. Has he paid a gift tax and avoided money laundering pitfalls?  The mother of his lo
History has its lessons. A Fourth of July letter to the editor of the Washington Times-Dispatch became something of an internet sensation, forwarded via email and read aloud in a YouTube video. The wr
Even though it is a totally useless gesture, it cheered my heart when I read this piece in Politico about how House Republicans are still on the floor 2 hours and counting after the Democrats adjourne
The IOC is making out like everything is fine now, that because the Chinese communists have eased some of their draconian restrictions on accessing internet sites not approved by the censors that we c
Not a catastrophe and there were some silver linings in the dark clouds on unemployment. But overall, the economy is just plain weak; slow growth last quarter at 1.9%, wages not keeping pace with risi
This will not help relations between India and Pakistan - two nuclear powers already engaged in a low level war over the ownership of Kashmir:American intelligence agencies have concluded that members
Western media outlets have reported on the Iraq war by relying heavily on Iraqis -- young men quickly trained to be photojournalists and reporters. Yet their motives and loyalties have not always been
The suicide of Bruce Ivins, a prime suspect in the 2001 anthrax mail poisonings will certainly give the conspiracy jobbers something to wag their tongues about for a few days. But until a little more
As Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats jetted out of town negligently neglecting to deal with the urgent energy situation I'm reminded of the unseemly scandal over her use of military jets that erupted sho
Holding the Olympic games in Nazi Germany back in 1936 was the biggest mistake ever made by the ringleaders of the gang of extortionists known as the International Olympic Committee. Hitler was so con
A close-up look at Barack Obama's years in the Illinois State Senate reveals someone different from the post-racial Barack Obama we thought we knew. Stanley Kurtz writes a must-read article on  "Barac
You might think this is not so very good news, releasing 10,000 detainees in Iraq in about a year. After all, despite occassional mistakes, there is usually a pretty good reason someone is detained an
While our intrepid reporters and all-knowing, all-powerful editors are taking a much deserved (according to them) snooze, another extraordinary milestone was reached in Iraq.Deaths of US soldiers from
What I wouldn't give to be Barack Obama for a day.Imagine being able to tell your wife on Wednesday that you would love to go to the opera with her on Saturday and then being able to change your mind
CBS News is reporting - with a lot of caveats - that there is a possibility al-Qaeda's #2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, may be criticially injured or dead.The network obtained a copy of an interecpted letter in
If a person didn't know better, he might think raising the minimum wage increased the unemployment rate.The latest unemployment rate was 5.7% , or at or below where it was from December 2001 to Januar
Animal "rights" activists appear to have firebombed the home of a molecular biologist in Santa Cruz. California. The terrorists are trying to force a halt to scientific research that involves death an
No, that's not the opinion of a government psychiatrist. And I am taking any statements from anyone connected to the government (army, FBI) with a grain of salt.But the case of Bruce Ivins is taking a
It has been a concern among pollsters ever since Obama became a candidate; what percentage of voters are lying when they say they will vote for him?AT's Political correspondent Rich Baehr refers to "t
Jeffrey Kuhner of the Washington Times has a particularly incisive op-ed in today's edition focusing on Obama's standing as a "post national" candidate for president.In effect, Obama would be the firs
Seeking to make a splash with his choice of running mate, John McCain has been looking at some "outside the box" candidates like Sarah Palin of Alaska and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. The
No doubt Obama's disciples will frame their candidate's decision to go back on his word given in May to debate McCain when he said at the time  "if I have the opportunity to debate substantive issues
Barack Obama will be speaking in Lansing, MI today about his new (or newest) energy policy. Not surprisingly, it calls for massive taxes levied against "windfall profits" of oil companies - of which h
At an upmarket newspaper like the Time York Times, no self-respecting editor would ever consider publishing grisly close-up photos showing victims of horrific car wrecks and violent crimes. Yet that's
As I write this, House Republican members are carrying on about gas prices again in the darkened House chamber.Representative Mike Culbertson is covering it for the rest of us on Qikking. Meanwhile, N
Bookworm, the Marin County mom who lives a secret life as a conservative blogger in one of the bluest spots in America, wrote about her plight in a 2005 article, Confession of a Crypto-conservative Wo
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has a great con game going with pet owners who, for one reason or another are forced to give up their pets for adoption. The poor deluded humans trus
Barack Obama is constantly crying wolf, in this case it is the candidate putting words in John McCain's mouth by stating that John McCain is a racist whowould make an issue of the fact that he (Obama,
In still yet another shuddering preview of what life will be like in a Palestinian state, Arab Hamas loyalists in the Gaza area are rounding up, torturing and often killing their fellow Arabs who are
Alexander Solzhenitsyn is dead.  It is a testament to the banality of our times that most people probably do not know what that means.  Since the end of the Second World War there have been a very few
Betrayal in diplomacy among allies is rare but happens on occasion. But betrayal on the battlefield? And by our closest ally?This is from the Times Online:A secret deal between Britain and the notorio
Gallup has just released some interesting poll results, based upon the responses that registered voters gave recently when the following questions were asked:Please tell me whether you think each of t
GOP heavyweight politico Alex Castellanos weighs in at, of all places, Huffington Post today with a searing post about why Obama can't win.First, Castellano wrestles with the question of the moment; w
If you read Obama's speech on energy, you know it's not much of a plan. The only way he proposes to increase the supply of oil is to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve - a gigantic flip flop from his
Rasmussen reports that McCain is pulling even with Obama, apparently Obama's excellent adventure in Europe didn't have much effect on American voters:The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking
My sin of driving a high performance car has been absolved by Barack Obama.  For two years I've been driving a 350 horse Road and Track package Dodge Charger R/T that gets only 15 miles per gallon aro
Now this is a barometer... "Barack Obama's lead plunges in Massachusettes". Barack Obama's lead over John McCain is plunging in the bluest of blue states-Massachusettes, the home state of two of his s
Soldiering is a dangerous business -- even in peacetime -- and we mourn the death of any member of our armed forces no matter what its cause.  A new report for members of Congress from the Congression
Pity the poor New York Times Company! In addition to all its other woes, one of the company's newspaper distributors has been accused of defrauding the company with thousands of phantom subscriptions,
That Mexico's violence and dysfunction is increasingly becoming part of America's social fabric was highlighted by two recent events in Texas -- a kidnapping in Austin, and an execution last night in
Former presidential candidate Mike Gravel urged an audience last week to harrass a prosecutor for charging a convicted terrorist sympathizer with contempt of court:In the tape, Gravel can be heard tel
If you don't think Obama feels the pressure, check out his interview with the Las Vegas Sun's Jon Ralston: "I thought I was talking to you instead of debating John McCain, but I am happy to let you se
Barack Obama's Muslim Affairs adviser, Chicago lawyer Mazen Asbahi,  has resigned after an internet newsletter wrote about his stint on the board of an Islamic investment fund and his involvement in v
A new kind of politician, a new kind of politics. A man on a higher plane who is going to be positive and talk about the issues. The arrogance and the insults just keep leaking through, however.Recall
Barack Obama has been skillful at trying to deflect attention from slices of his life that may embarrass him or cause political problems. He has written two books and in both of them deliberately igno
Rap singer Kayne West will enlighten and elevate the Democratic National Convention with his artistry. As Christopher Cook  wrote in his Modern Conservative article about the convention: "Few people a
The BBC reports  that "Rwanda has accused France of playing an active role in the genocide of 1994, in which about 800,000 people were killed."  [Emphasis added.]"An independent Rwandan commission sai
It appears that the new Pakistani government is eager to run full speed toward the gasoline dump with a lit match.With the country beset by extremists and terrorists striking seemingly at will, the co
Glenn Greenwald calls the document dump by the government in the Anthrax case "incomplete." No doubt it is. But since most of the documents are court related and contain the FBI "theory of the case,"
The Abilene Paradox, a particular type of pathological groupthink, occurs when group members unanimously agree in their hearts to proposition A, but vote publicly with unanimity against it. In the def
Why this is coming out now in Jerome Corsi's new book The Obama Nation is a mystery since you would think that Hilalry's crack research team would have vetted every single ad Obama put out during the
Despite what is reported as "intense pressure" from the United States, the Iraqi parliament has adjourned for the month without passing an enabling law that would allow for provincial elections in the
Three weeks away from the Democratic convention in Denver and Barack Obama still has no idea what to do with Hillary Clinton and the almost 50% of convention delegates who support her.Karen Tumulty of
Two excellent articles today deal with the sad fate of Lebanon now that Hezb'allah is full in control and, thanks to the stupidity and incompetence of the United Nations force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), ful
Victor Davis Hanson has a list of the things Barack Obama needs to win in November.   The key, according to historian Hanson, is his Veep pick. "The ideal selection for Obama would be crusty, sloppy,
There's another fascinating op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this morning by Karl Rove on the next steps that John McCain should take in his battle against Barack Obama: What McCain Should Do Next. In
The FBI has laid out its evidence in the case against army scientist Dr. Bruce Ivins. Although I initially doubted the FBI theory that Dr. Ivins was the sole source of the 2001 anthrax attack, I mused
Once again, brilliant minds have arrived at an earthshaking discovery simultaneously.History is replete with such coincidences.Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilheim Leibniz, for example, hit upon the
Barack Obama and the MSM -- especially the NYT -- will suffer significant collateral damage from the Edwards fallout.A BIG Democrat, one of Obama's peers as candidate for president, is a phony. How bi
Today's New York Times article begins: Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding “warning” letter in the mail next w
In the days of Stalin and Mao, school children were encouraged to rat out their parents for politically incorrect thoughts expressed at home. Now it is the turn of the greenies in Europe to ape the to
Well there is Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr-race-mongering , anti-American demagogue and fabulist; there is Father Pfleger-like Wright, an acolyte and supporter of Louis Farrakhan; there is Bill Ayers-fo
Apparently a  NYT columnist is in denial over fact that the spot market oil price has dropped 20% in three weeks since President Bush removed the Executive Branch's ban on offshore drilling.In a piece
Victor Davis Hanson hits another grand slam in today's column in the Washington Times on Barack Obama.Hanson notes that the man who ran as a post-racial healer has betrayed this promise as he regularl
The launch of ProPublica was greeted with a bit of fanfare last year. ProPublica was formed through the efforts of the Herb an Marion Sandler who sold their Savings and Loan Company to Wachovia for bi
Memphis, Tennessee had a primary yesterday and the real winner was a post racial, post religious, post ethnic election.Running for re-election, Representative Steven Cohen, who is a white Jewish  male
We are dealing with absolutely criminal and crazy acts of irresponsible and reckless decision makers, which is on the ground producing dramatic and tragic consequences." - Georgian President Mikhail S
You will recall the spectacular raid by Israeli planes on what most are now calling a nuclear reactor in Syria that was built with the help of North Korean technicians and scientists.At the time, we w
The Service Employees International Union supposedly represents the interests of low-wage service employees-health care workers, janitorial staff and such. The Union has become one of the most powerfu
Nancy Pelosi faces an unwelcome challenge from the left, as Cindy Sheehan qualifies for the November ballot for the California 8th District House seat held by the Speaker. John Wildemuth of the San Fr
Despite the fact that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is a dyed in the wool free market conservative, events over the last year has forced the Treasury Department to intervene in financial markets to
John Edwards may be a fool for love but he's no fool as a lawyer. Faced with the ongoing disclosures by the National Enquirer of his long-standing affair with campaign worker, Rielle Hunter, and the i
So says the Financial Times. And it really isn't suprising when you think about it. Lieberman gives McCain something that other candidates don't; proof that he is a different candidate for president. 
Andrew Bostom's work is familiar to AT readers from his many articles here. His latest book, The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History receives a very positive review tod
As the media continues to avert its eyes from the Edwards' scandal, bloggers continue to tell us interesting things about the Democrat's fair haired boy and what was going on in Edwards' camp under th
The US and Iraq are moving toward an agreement that would establish a "very clear" timeline for pulling out our troops. This according to the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari:In an interview wit
This is a concept that has been discussed on many websites and speculated on by pundits for months:Will John McCain announce at the convention that if elected, he will not run in 2012?Not a peep about
Despite the One World One dream Olympic theme, the Iranians have not forsaken their dream of one world without Israel.An Iranian swimmer pulled out of the Olympic Games men's 100m breaststroke heats o
With the Pakistani coalition government ready to begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf, the army has taken it upon themselves to defuse the volatile situation by asking thei
In his recent novel, Phantom Prey, John Sandford, a former Pulitizer prize winning reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, has his character Lucas Davenport, criticize the local security preparatio
StrategyPage.Com weighs in with an excellent article on the conflict in Georgia where it appears the Russians have successfully kicked the Georgian army out of South Ossetia and is continuing its assa
Nate Silver at the excellent election blog 538 has an interesting Op-Ed in the New York Post that makes the case that the key to an Obama victory may very well be the under 30 vote and why this time,
The criticism by the left to some suggestions coming from conservatives that our response to the Russians for their now naked aggression in Georgia is analogous to the reaction to the Sudentenland or
Hillary Clinton's ex-Communications Director Howard Wolfson gives voice to a theme I've seen on a few liberal sites since the Edward's scandal saw light; if it had been revealed in November instead of
The Edwards affair news drop, on the same Friday night as the Olympic opening ceremonies, seemed designed to prevent mass collateral damage, if not to Edwards, than to the greater Democratic Party. Th
Politico's Glen Thrush has written an excellent piece on Obama's "Summer Stall" in the polls and why these 7 warning signs might mean that McCain - despite all the obstacles - might yet pull it out in
Is Senator Barack Obama, so isolationist (or so afraid that because he doesn't look like other presidents on $$$ bills) that potential vice president running mates don't want to be seen with him?  Or
The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, is witnessing the detailed destruction of his little 26,000 man army while also having to stand by while twice that many Russians invade his country from
I am not an expert on the Caucasus (although I play one on this site!)Seriously, the issues involved in this conflict are sometimes hard to discern. We can be reasonably well informed of some of the h
Over at the lefty Huffington Post, John Edwards' confession of being a cheat has, interestingly, provoked fury among some of the gal pundits. They're mercilessly trashing the pretty boy populist -- sp
Despite pleas for a cease fire from most of the world and Georgia herself, Russian troops have begun what it appears to be a drive to capture the vital rail and highway nexus in the towm of Gori which
Evidence accumulates favoring the possibility of a Hillary coup at the Denver convention, and it is being noticed among the sharper observers of politics.From within the Hillary camp comes a far-from-
Barack Obama claims that he is a post-partisan politician and promises he will work well with Republicans. This is contrary to his history in the Senate to date and also flies in the face of the Natio
All campaigns have hangers-on, groupies, overly enthusiastic volunteers - the flotsam and jetsam of political junkies and true believers who seem to be underfoot and offering unsolicited and unwelcome
Amazing what can happen when you stand up and do the right  thing.In a 180 degree flip flop, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says that she will allow a vote on lifting restriction on offshore drilling:
From our "We'll believe it when we see it" files...You may recall less than 48 hours ago, a Kremlin military spokesman denied Russian troops were on Georgian soil, declaring in solemn tones that the B
The New York Sun ran an editorial today that lauds the promptness and the wisdom of John McCain's response to the Russian invasion of Georgia. McCain denounced Russia's invasion of Georgia and clearly
Will Obama's next flip flop be on affirmative action?If liberal Peter Beinart has his way - and if some hints from Obama himself prove to pan out - it may very well be that we will see Obama abandon h
There is absolutely no doubt - none, zero, zilch - that the Chinese "women's" gymnastics team featured several little girls no older than 14 years of age - two years younger than the international fed
You may recall that Barck Obama refused federal financing for his campaign with the excuse that John McCain and the Republicans would spend millions of dollars through 527 groups and he would be an a
"When war is declared, truth is the first casualty." So goes the old saw about how problematic it can be to discern the truth when a war starts. Now, predictably, Russia is complaining that its invasi
Almost a year and a half ago, The New York Times Company (NYTCo) announced  a large increase in the dividend paid to stockholders, a move difficult to reconcile with the rapidly declining business for
Barack Obama threw his pastor Jeremiah Wright under the bus for dissing Obama as just another politician. He will embrace Leah Daughtry, Wright's female liberation theology doppelganger, at the Democr
This is pretty incredible - even for the New York Times.After reporting that Condi Rice visited Georgia last month and warning President Saakashvili not to fall into Moscow's trap and get into a milit
According to the senior American terrorism analyst, al-Qaeda has fully rebuilt its safe haven in the tribal areas of Pakistan and has recruited "dozens" of western looking operatives to strike inside
What we are witnessing this year is the climactic and final battle for control of the Democratic Party. It started in 1940 with the nomination of Henry Wallace as FDR's VP. Wallace proved to be quite
Three years ago this month, American freelance journalist Steven Vincent was kidnapped and murdered in Basra, Iraq, a port city then under British military control. His murder occurred as Britain's mi
Alan Greenspan hasn't been idle since he retired as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Greenspan has been busy defending his record from those who charge that his lax regulatory policies and artifically
The cyber attack is one of the tools Russia pulled from the "Making War" goody bag.  A plethora of attacks are available:  cyber espionage, web vandalism, DoSS attacks (Distributed Denial-of-Service A
Not matter what you think of Karl Rove, you must acknowledge that he is one of the better political strategists around today. You don't map out victory in two presidential elections without an in dept
"Russia: Again Savior of Peace and Life." So stated a recent headline from Pravda regarding the impending war with Georgia. Yes, the trademark Russian publication famous for its Cold War propaganda is
Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard has the story:IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW aboard his campaign plane this morning, John McCain said that he is open to choosing a pro-choice running mate and named
Even after the Russian's rolled over the Georgian army, landing a strangle hold on Europe's oil and gas, the EU, characteristically divided, remained powerless. However they did began to grasp that th
Kristin Jensen of Bloomberg reports on the efforts of Democrats to give the warm and fuzzies to voters who find abortion abhorrent.The party's platform supports the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruli
Some day when the history of our times is written, futire historians may very well marvel at the utter stupidity and wide-eyed naivete of the west when facing aggression.Take Nicolas Sarkozy of France
Joe Lieberman's days as a committee chairman are numbered. The former Democrat now independent has been Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee while caucusing with the ma
Once upon a time,  most Americans united against a common evil enemy. Mainstream media didn't leak secret information for a scoop or to grandiosely oppose the government but sat on the facts for the g
As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said yesterday in his press conference (video can be found here, transcript can be found here), Russia's actions in Georgia will result in our allies, especially t
Remember the mini-series "Path to 9/11" that generated all that controversy because it deigned to portray Bill Clinton failing to kill Osama bin Laden when he had the chance? The Clintons and the left
The Associated Press, which insists that internet journalists must not quote it, has two good reasons not to be quoted today, made obvious by enterprising internet journalists.  Professor Barry Rubin
In a clear response to Vladamir Putin's thrust against Georgia, the US and Poland reached quick agreement on a long stalled deal to place a missile defense base on Polish territory.Funny how a little
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is expected to resign "in the next few days" according to the Washington Post:Faced with mounting pressure from former political allies and dwindling support from
McCain talks faith in a fascinating interview with the Chicago Tribune's Jill Zuckman -- and describes the little-known "church riot" he helped lead against his captors in Vietnam. The church riot eru
Along with the United States and many other countries, Israel has freedom of religion where people of all religious beliefs  can worship as they please with whatever religious items they need.  Many c
Along with death and taxes, the only other constant in life is change.  Now that the Al Gore hysteria of global warming seems to be cooling down a bit  the new climate hysteria mantra has been changed
While the McCain campaign revels in a reasonably clear win (on a stage where a clear win was the minimum requirement), the Obama campaign enjoys the fact that their candidate quoted scripture in a chu
New Jersey State Assemblyman Michael Doherty has earned a place in the history books. So far as I know, he is the first politician to call openly for repeal of economically harmful legislation derivin
When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early nineties, aside from the dismantling their nuclear arsenal, the mothballing of their naval fleet was the most important military development. But now flush
Anyone out there gathering examples of the total stupidity of the American political process as it stands right now, please bookmark this post and come back to it often. It is very instructive as to h
Old buildings, small cars, good drivers, thin attractive women, weak looking young men, high prices with weak dollar (e.g.,2.1 to 1 in UK), more old buildings, dead churches (representing many old bui
It looks like if the GOP is going to get a vote on offshore drilling, they are going to have to swallow hard and help fund alternative energy as well - plus any other add on the Democrats can think of
Jerome Corsi's anti Obama book Obama Nation is set to debut at #1 on the NY Times bestseller this week and the press, lefty bloggers, and the Obama campaign have all been going through it with a fine
What makes these statements by Howard Dean so uproariously funny is that he apparently forgets that the entire leadership of his party is white (as shown on Michelle Malkin's site). Every time he thin
Robert Stacy McCain sees trouble ahead for Obama when he announces his VP choice and it isn't Hillary. While political insiders have all but dismissed the possibility of a unity ticket, he sees many o
Months ago a Frank Luntz focus group charted independent voter's responses to some of John McCain's comments.  As a shocker to Luntz, some Fox News analysts and likely the McCain camapaign, the respon
I was finally able to indulge one of my guilty pleasures: reading a summer novel, a political thriller, no less. I made a great choice. The book in question is A Time Like This: 2001-2008., written by
You can tell Barack Obama knows he has a problem when he starts lying about his record, and the lie is readily disprovable. Such is the case with his 2002 vote against the Illinois Born Alive Infants
The Justice Department has sent target letters to 6 employees of the security firm Blackwater in connection with the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in a market last September:The guards, all fo
Michael Sheridan of The Sunday Times of London explains all the empty seats in Beijing in a story about how the carefully planned spectacle masks a very poor nation in which the government is running
The reason this story is making waves is that first, it was unexpected and second, Bryant was obviously sincere when he said it.NBC's Chris Collingwsorth, former pro football player, was interviewing
Well that didn't take long.After reporting yesterday on Nancy Pelosi's desire to develop a comprehensive energy bill instead of an up or down vote on lifting off shore drilling restrictions, the GOP i
Efforts to stop Russia from cavorting around the Georgia countryside in armored columns, terrorizing the people and making Tbilisi nervous have become almost comical - if the situation were even remot
These days, it seems that celebrities of all stripes -- singers, actors, and so on -- have bought into the idea that being proud to be an American is less than hip. Is it because they have to worry ab
This is getting curiouser and curiouser...Records detailing the workings of a 1990's charitable group working to better education in the city of Chicago that are housed at the University of Illinois C
One might ask what took them so long. It's been months since Chris Matthews blubbered about Obama being the greatest thing since sliced bread and talking about the thrill up his leg when hearing him s
Last week, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko issued new restrictions on Russia's use of the Sevastopol port facilities, which included "a requirement that the Black Sea fleet seek the permission o
The heir to the British throne claims that genetically modified crops are a disaster. Now a cabinet minister has asked him in effect to put up or shut up. The Guardian reports: "If it has been a disas
Giving credit where credit is due, the European wire services AFP and Reuters as well as the BBC, Times of London, and even the Guardian have been giving extraordinarily good coverage on the entire Ru
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducts survey research on newspaper reading habits every two years, and the latest results, released Sunday afternoon, reveal more bad news for the
It had been expected for days but evidently, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation over national television has brought about a profound sense of relief that he will leave peacefully:"I d
A look at the medal count (as of Monday morning, 18 August) shows a predictable one-two at the top.  China, with its 1.3 billion people, has garnered 65 medals including 37 gold medals.  That’s one me
Occasionally the discipline of Sociology redeems itself, as with a new study that confirms attending church is really good for your kids, and explains why in terms even an atheist can understand.Rober
Stunning news that seems to be reported in the Russian media but not our own. Steve Gilbert of Sweetness & Light has the scoop:  From a gleeful Kommersant Moscow:Russia will proceed with executing ele
If I had a dime for every time some "expert" told us that the idea of Shia Iran working with Sunni al-Qaeda was preposterous because SUNNIS AND SHIAS HATE EACH OTHER AND WOULD NEVER WORK TOGETHER IN A
Old Man John McCain took young Barack Obama behind the woodshed Saturday night and gave him a good ole fashioned whooping. The once Messianic Obama is now having a hard time not stumbling over his own
The high price of fuel is beginning to really hurt wholesale prices as the index shot up another 1.2% last month which pencils out to a rate of 9.8% over the last year:Today's report follows recent ne
Little movement has been made by Russia to take troops out as Georgia reports that "there was scant evidence the Russians were making good on the promise they made -- when they signed a ceasefire -- t
Three days after the Presidential forum at Saddleback Church in California, revelations are still coming out that makes the Obama campaign's complaint that John McCain "cheated" look even more like th
Russia swears its military is leaving Georgia but there are signs that they are settling in for a nice long stay:Along one major road, four Russian armored personnel carriers rattled a few miles close
The Quinnipiac Poll out today shows Obama leading McCain by just 5 points at 47-42. That compares to a 50-41 margin Obama led in the same poll last month.The real significance is that by an astonishin
The media has gone berserk the last 12 hours or so as scoops from both camps reveal that the candidates are preparing to announce their running mates.Obama's choice could be revealed as soon as tomorr
Even though he was a Democrat, I've always liked Joe Lieberman.He "got it" on many issues near to my heart; the trashing of our culture, the importance of Israel as an ally, our role in a dangerous wo
The New York Times is hyping a sensational announcement by Mayor Bloomberg to site windmills across New York city on buildings, bridges and other locations on land and sea, including Long Island Sound
Some "journalists of color" are livid over the Chicago Tribune's recent layoffs, claiming members of their racial and ethnic group were disproportionately targeted. Altogether, the Tribune laid off 40
A Denver TV station ferreted out this story of how Obama's "free" Invesco Field acceptance speech is being used as a fundraiser - without the knowledge of most of his supporters.Via Ed Morrissey at Ho
The Cold War created a strong psychological connection between America and those nations held captive behind the Iron Curtain.  Freedom was the watchword, but now, it seems that the depth of an intern
Two days after the Russians agreed to remove their troops from Georgian territory, there is little sign of movement from the Russian military and other signs that they intend to stay for a while:Two d
There's no other way to put it; John McCain's support has increased over the last fortnight while Barack Obama's has decreased. That's the conclusion of several recent polls as well as the judgment of
In Texas, two Republican legislators are taking up the “forgotten” issue in the presidential election – illegal immigration. Specifically, they're seeking to challenge municipalities that declare them
One thing made clear by the Saddleback broadcast was Barack Obama’s utter lack of spontaneity. This inability to put himself across without a script has been characterized as "thoughtfulness" and "nua
When my 7-year-old son heard on the radio about a Russian invasion and bombing of Georgia, he was very concerned -- until I assured him that his grandparents in Atlanta were just fine.  Given his age
The Obama campaign team seems to have been  intimidated by Olympics coverage, so they held off on announcing a VP.  They had a  week or two to get some traction with a VP pick before their convention,
You can tell how panicky some Democrats are getting because a few pundits are now openly calling for Obama to choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate.It's not going to happen - probably; although I
The United States and Iraq have agreed on a draft timetable to withdraw troops first from cities and towns by next summer and then from the country as a whole by 2011:The draft agreement sets 2011 as
Liberal financier and backer of far left groups like Moveon.org George Soros has been caught in one of those "Do as I say not as I do" moments.It seems that Soros, who is a huge proponent of global wa
For those of us who continue to be suspicious of what Barack Obama is not telling us about himself, those suspicions were heightened Sunday.Obama held a mega-fundraiser in San Francisco that was said
The Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Barack Obama's only claim to administrative leadership (as covered today by Thomas Lifson), was evaluated by the esteemed Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an independent o
It's called "street money" and it is a practice that most big city Democratic machines use to scare up votes on election day. The actual mechanics vary from city to city but it usually involves hundre
What's considered a "disproportionate use of force?"  Apparently, the Russian government thinks it knows, because on August 4th,Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin stated:"Moscow is serious
Ohio Al-Qaeda terrorist Christopher Paul, who pled guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against targets in Europe and the US back in June, is still registered to vote according to t
A week ago an old Marine buddy sent me a link to a You tube video that after viewing it, caused me to sit momentarily stunned by the horror of what I had just seen and heard. The video was that of nur
So what's a nation like Russia to do, when historically, the desire for warm water ports is a critical necessity?  Czarist Russia recognized that as did the USSR.  The Crimea port of Sevastopol fulfil
With all that money rolling in, it is to be expected that some of it is being used in a way that either skirts the letter of the law or breaks it. Michelle Malkin is on the story of $800 thousand that
I guess we really shouldn't be surprised that Barack Obama sees no difference between our toppling of Saddam Hussein and Russia's invasion of Georgia. On an emotional level - which is where most liber
The Washington Post notes that Michelle Obama's employer, University of Chicago Medical Center,  gave a $650,000 contract to Blackwell Consulting.  The son of the owner,  Robert Blackwell Jr., a forme
Runors are swirling in the GOP camp that John McCain may be ready to announce his Vice President as early as next Friday.Time's Mark Halprin actually had a post up on his blog saying that "2 GOP sourc
With Democrats screaming at him to "get tough" with John McCain, Barack Obama's gazillion dollar campaign leapt all over the Repunlican's inability to remember the number of houses he owns by claiming
As more evidence emerges of the close ties between former Weatherman Bill Ayers and Presidential candidate Barack Obama, questions are being raised about the level of competence displayed by Barack Ob
In the vital state of Virginia, where Obama has set his sights on wresting the Commonwealth away from the Republicans, the Democrat is sparing no expense in setting up an enormous ground operation wit
In an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," billionaire Warren Buffett suggested that donors to the John Edwards for President Campaign might consider filing a class action lawsuit.  "I think if I had giv
Last week, Barack Obama's foreign policy adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski was sounding tough on Russia, perhaps due to the tepid reaction to Obama's initial vapid comments on Russia's invasion of Georgia.
Barack Obama's record as leader of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) has come under scrutiny by, among others Steve Diamond, Tom Maguire, Stanley Kurtz and our own Tom Lifson . The CAC was a group
I don't know if this story has any legs but I can tell you that it won't take much to rub the Hillaisers the wrong way, so raw and strained are their emotions today.Barack Obama's promised text messag
Go here to see when Bobby Jindal is scheduled to speak at convention.  Isn't that interesting?  Two possible scenarios:  Either Bobby's McCain's VP or it's a slap at Bobby because he declined McCain's
As Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition explains, the addition of Joe Biden to the Democratic ticket should worry those who are concerned about American policy towards Iran:"With the selecti
Political insiders have long known about Joe Biden getting caught plagiarizing almost word-for-word a speech given by British Labour politician Neil Kinnock. In fact, that killed his 1988 presidential
In choosing Joe Biden as his running mate, Barack Obama probably gained no friends in the Indian-American community.In July of 2006, Biden slurred Indian Americans, saying:  "In Delaware, the largest
Dan Riehl thinks Obama may have lost the election with his stupid remarks about China's airports, railways and port facilities being "vastly superior" to our own. Of course, the secret to China's succ
While many in the international community huffed and puffed in righteous indignation when the state of Texas, after years of appeals by the defendant,  executed an illegal alien, in this country for y
During the Democratic primary campaign, Joe Biden said some things about Barack Obama that will probably be excellent fodder for McCain campaign ads.Jim Geraghty has a few:"My impression is [Obama] th
In choosing Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate, Barack Obama has acknowledged his own shortcomings while recognizing that the election he and his people thought a cakewalk a few months
It was actually pretty funny, not caught by the assembled multitude because they were cheering but it came through loud and clear on TV.Obama had just spent 15 minutes praising Joe Biden to the skies,
By choosing Joe Biden as his running mate, Barack Obama has done John McCain a pretty big favor. He could have chosen Hillary which would have blown the Democratic convention away. Or he could have ch
If Dick Cheney added gravitas to George W. Bush's candidacy, Obama's limping selection of the irascible Senator Joe Biden of Delaware promises to be more likely to provide comicus, or comic relief.Wit
Clarice Feldman lays out the reasons why the William Ayers/Annenberg Challenge story will seriously damage the candidacy of The One. A sample:...the story was that Ayers was an old professor in Mr. Ob
Andrew Bacevich's writes a somewhat disturbing op-ed in today's Los Angeles Times . He asserts that the next President-whoever he may be-will be probably disappoint his followers because his power to
The Chicago Jewish News runs a lengthy article about Barack Obama and Jews: those who support him, those who oppose him, and the role that Jews have played in his rise. Prominently figuring among the
Rasmussen polled Democrats about the choice of Joe Biden as running mate and found rather tepid support for the Delaware senator.Just 39% supported the decision while 25% thought Biden was a bad choic
Closer scrutiny of the important people (that is, the poeple Obama himself identified as important) in Barack Obama's life is proving to yield what can only be called a "ick factor." Jeremiah Wright,
A "Simple and Truthful" Platform = Landslide Victory this November.  Ronald Reagan was a landslide winner of two Presidential Campaigns using this formula. Ronald Reagan: "There are no easy answers bu
Once again, the Democrats are in the process of behaving like children come convention time. Memeorandum captures a slew of stories on bickering between the Clinton and Obama camps. This is neither ne
Joe Biden is supposed to add foreign policy credibility to the Obama ticket. But Senator Biden has been consistently wrong on at least one crucial national security issue: The steadily spreading dange
Points of views vary regarding military withdrawal from Georgia, because the Russian government states it is in compliance, while Georgia and the US at the very least, do not concur.   Russia says it
Amir Taheri is a keen student of foreign policy and American interests. He has consistently advocated regime change in Iran as a way to separate the clearly pro-American Iranian people from the despot
Cue the violins...Former President Bill Clinton, mistreated by the press, accused of using the race card by the Obama camp, and watching as his stellar presidential record was trashed by Obama himself
Politico is reporting this morning that aides for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still resentful of each other and that the choice of Joe Biden as running mate hasn't helped matters any.The two
Republican pollster Frank Luntz was conducting one of his focus groups in Denver, talking to 21 supposedly undecided Coloradoans about the race.What he discovered were doubts about John McCain and an
According to this AP report, Senator Biden gave only $1,025.00 out of his $298,000 in earned income last year. That's 1/3 of one percent of his income. Before he became a millionaire via his book roya
Apparently Barack Obama has chosen a running mate who operates in the fine tradition of the Democratic party; a candidate  who huffs and puffs and blows himself up.  At one time s/he could get away wi
A former American Education Research Association ( AERA) employee details how Obama's pal and educational grant dispensing partner, former Weatherman Bill Ayres, plays a key role in the radicalization
The Democratic National Convention started Sunday not with a bang, but a whimper. The radical left-wing group Recreate 68 "commandeered" the steps of the Colorado State Capitol to protest the war in I
They scurried across the lawn at Denver's Civic Center. Most carried signs. Some banged on drums. Most of them were women ... and a lot of them were angry. They were gathering together to express thei
On Monday afternoon, I was part of a panel on the Jewish vote in 2008 at the Democratic National Convention. The panel was sponsored by the National Jewish Democratic Council and its not for-profit-ar
The Democrats thought they had a great moment last night; the specter of a long time Republican moderate Jim Leach abandoning his party and coming out four square for Obama.But Leach has hardly been a
James Carville thinks so. Many in the left wing blogosphere also wanted more of an attack dog mentality. And some MSM analysis also believed the Dems spent too much time on emoting and not enough thro
CQPolitics.com launched a strike of their own against the convention week attacks that the Democrats are launching against John McCain, in an attempt to tie him to President Bush now and to portray hi
Authorities are downplaying this but it would appear that, like the way they downplayed the recent incident of an Egyptian who entered this country on a Sudanese passport test flying a pilotless drone
The Russians have moved well beyond the purview of the cease-fire agreement, which stipulated "about 1,500 Russian peacekeepers are allowed to remain inside, and can do patrols about 6 kilometers outs
I am going to start a comment barrage directed toward me with this post but I hope there are a few of you who can appreciate where I am coming from with my analysis.Last night we saw a little history
She is called the Angel of Iran, because she lived her short life angelically. The demonic Islamist Mullahs, true to their nature, couldn't bear an angel in their midst. On June 18, 1983, they hanged
I have heard it many times from conservatives; Obama is not a tough guy, that he will wilt under the pressure of a national campaign.I hate to break the news to my fellow righties but that's nonsense.
The most visible and vocal protestors demonstrating at the Democratic National Convention are the advocates for the unborn. Virtually ignored by the media, they are everywhere and in the faces of dele
As things stand today, the campaign of still prospective Democratic nominee Barack Obama may well go down in History as one of the worst ever waged. Remember that when media talking heads and DNC spin
As we wait for the press and others to go through the thousands of documents related to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge where Barack Obama served as President of the Board and terrorist William Ayers
I know. I know. He is speaking Thursday night at the DNC. What I mean is, where are his troops? Where are the protestors to stop Man Made Global Warming? Where are the posters? They are not on the str
You've really got to feel Bill Clinton's pain.   Already peeved over what he perceives as myriad "dissings" by the Obama camp upon himself and his family, he arrived at last night's Democratic Nationa
The editor-at-large of newspaper industry trade publication Editor & Publisher upbraids reporters at the political conventions for failing to stand when the National Anthem is played at the start of e
David Freddoso of NRO and best selling author of the book The Case Against Barack Obama has an article today that shows how Obama's "ingenius lack of specificity" helps him in obscuring his true posit
This ought to cause a few sleepless nights among policymakers in Washington.Apparently, the probable choice for Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, suffered from some unspecified form of mental ill
There aren't many of them but less than 2 out three conservative Democrats - 63% - are now supporting Barack Obama for president according to Gallup, down from 68% last month and a high of 72% in mid-
Andy McCarthy has a devastating indictment of former Weather Underground terrorist Bill Ayers, showing how the unreconstructed radical doesn't deserve to be considered in the mainstream of anything -
Just as they have ignored the many pro-life demonstrations happening in Denver this week, the MSM has yet to notice the firestorm ignited when the self professsed ardent practicing Catholic Nancy Pelo
The world’s last bastion of the failed Stalinist ideology, Cuba, has yet again arrested the outspoken musician Gorki Aguilar.Jeane Kirkpatrick once said of her penchant for standing on the floor of th
One of the speakers at the DNC on Monday night was Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, whose speaking slot raised a few eyebrows.  Not only is he very young and in a low level state office, hi
Did I just hear Cardinal Egan change the abortion debate? Perhaps I did. Tuesday, the Archdioces of New York issued an unequivocally blistering rebuke to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her mind
We almost saw Joe Biden. His security-laden entourage drove by us. Brett (my photographer) and I were shopping for souvenirs on Denver's 16th Street Mall for our wives. We didn't get any pictures. But
In the third Silly Season of the Third Millennium, the Clan of Donkeys met near the Mountains of Rock to choose their champion for the race where the winner would be crowned Potus of the 57 States.As
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports today that the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (Cleveland, Ohio) is investigating 75,000 voter registrations -- many found to have been fraudulent -- submitted by
The last time I witnessed an abrupt 180o  even approaching the magnitude of last night's from Bill Clinton was when Frank Pentangeli suddenly recanted all previous accusations against Michael Corleone
Why the faux Greek Temple at Obama's mass rally at the Invesco Park, you ask? Actually, it's probably not his God Complex. It's just the basic stagecraft of visual illusion. If you want an actor on st
I'm with Michelle Malkin on this:I guess I'm supposed to be swooning about this e-mail just in from the McCain camp, but with the capitulationist/McCain-ized GOP platform still burning my eyes and the
Well surprise, surprise.  Get a load of this "The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter. The revis
It may have appeared all sweetness and light at last night's session of the Democratic Convention, but as Stephen Green of Vodkapundit fame points out, Bill Clinton couldn't resist getting in a few di
After having gone to war with Georgia, then occupying the little country and then doing its level best to dismember it by recognizing the breakaway provinces as independent states, Russia finally stum
George Will has a warning for Obama before he "feeds rhetorical fishes and loaves to the multitudes in the football stadium tonight." Be specific:If Socrates had engaged in an interminable presidentia
The contremps that occurred on the Milt Rosenberg Show last night as well as the Obama camp's attempt to stilfe free speech by asking the Justice Department to prosecute a conservative group for airin
The left doesn't want to win arguments with its opponents, it wants to silence them. More evidence comes from our mailbag. A letter and a response.Letter to the editor:Dear Editor:Perhaps Sheppard's u
Obama wants to bring big change to America if he's elected.Sounds great. How about forcing your kids to perform 50 hours of community service?The most worrisome of Barack Obama's proposals is his goal
The Obama campaign has tonight again demonstrated that it will try to silence voices with which it does not agree. This should chill all Americans, for it offers a preview of the tactics to which a Pr
C. Edmund Wright writes:Is it Sarah Palin for Vice President? It is beginning to look like the Alaskan Governor has re-emerged as a serious candidate to be John McCain's running mate. If this is the c
Surprising many a political prognosticator, John McCain has announced that his running mate will be 44-year-old Sarah Palin, Alaska's first female governor.  Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised, as I
Last night, John McCain put on ads congratulating Barack Obama for his achievement. The day Joe Biden was picked, John McCain called him to congratulate him. That is class.Tom Bevan of realclearpoliti
John McCain has selected Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate:U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve a
If ever there was evidence that thanks to the left, a Hurricane is no longer a matter of weather but a political football, the news that the Republicans might postpone their convention because Hurrica
Tom Lifson's excellent analysis in today's AT of Barack Obama's "showmanship"reveals a stunning truth about the candidate and more importantly, his supporters; a kind of madness has infected the press
When Ron Dellums was elected mayor of Oakland, California, I knew that the city was heading for trouble. Combine hard leftism with self-absorption and a healthy dose of municipal corruption, and you h
Last night we saw the Obamababble Showman as Ronald Reagan. He put on a great show. He talked tough last night. But to get the nomination, he talked weak. He ran like Carter and now he expects us to t
(and no Hillary Clinton, either.) I was there on the levee in New Orleans when George H.W. Bush rode the Delta Queen into New Orleans in August 1988 to announce his surprising choice of Dan Quayle.  B
Predictably, the smear comes from Daily Kos - a diary that has since been removed due to its controversial nature.But Ed Morrissey at Hot Air had all the nauseating details:This popped up on a Daily K
Apropos my post from yesterday about the possibility that the GOP will postpone their convention due to the politics involved with Hurricane Gustav. Michael Moore showed us once again how the left has
The political flamethrowers have been unleashed on Governor Sarah Palin.The media is not just trying to attack her on experience grounds (she has a far more successful record of accomplishment than ei
Bookworm anticipates the criticism coming Sarah Palin's way over abortion, and does some thinking. Liberals expect to win, but she thinks the Democrats may come out on the losing end, stuck in a box o
I spoke with my mother, just before I left for Minneapolis to cover the Republican National Convention for American Thinker. My mother has been to a bunch of RNC conventions. She told me that they wer
Like it or not, John' McCain's age, and worse, the fact that he looks old is a factor in this Presidential campaign. Intellectually I can see that he's tough and his ploy of bringing his mother to sho
Hats off to Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune for exposing blatant mainstream media propagandizing about Joe Biden's supposed blue collar roots. He points out shocking negligence or malfeasance by
The tort lawyers have a great friend in Joe Biden and his running mate, and there is a smelly "intersection of interests" among them.USA Today headlines the "intersection of interests" when Senator Jo
The Democrats have apparently found religion with Hurricane Gustav: As if on cue, liberal Democrats are jumping on percieved political oppurtunism related to the killer storm even as it is developing
After the Clan of Donkeys picked their champions in the race for Potus and Potus, Jr., the Clan of Elephants gathered for the same reason. Now it was clear that John the Warrior would be chosen lead p
Sarah Palin can argue for energy development very effectively. She is immune from criticism for being a tool of Big Oil, a charge hurled at the GOP by the Democrats last week from the convention podiu
Considering the fun they had with Gustav, one can only wonder what you would get if you put a microphone in front of Michael Moore or Don Fowler in response to the news that Sarah Palin's 17 year old
Haartez, the left wing Israeli newspaper, quotes Joe Biden as telling Israeli leaders in effect to like it or lump it when it comes to Iran getting nukes:Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Bid
While loyal Republicans roam the streets of St. Paul looking for something to do, John McCain is.... I can't figure out exactly what he is doing.Republicans are acting as if everything that went wrong
Mobs riot, burn stores and cars, threaten lives... oh, wait a minute. These are Christians, not members of the Religion of Peace. Jihad Watch reports:The Pope asked them to take the thing down. They r
As Gustav makes its final approach to the gulf, the political ramifications shift with every wobble  of the storm itself. The storm is now going to hit to the west, as in to the left, of New Orleans.
Steve Diamond notes that Barack Obama is beginning a walk back on his preposterously untrue former claims that Ayers was just a guy in his neighborhood. Using Linda Lenz, a close ally of both men to d
Since I am covering the convention for Pajamas Media, I thought I would sneak in a few blog posts at AT to let our readers get a feel for what's happening here in St. Paul. I wish I could say that som
This Palin is anti-Israel smear campaign from Rep. Robert Wexler actually began just hours after Friday's Veep announcement, when The Nation's Christopher Hayes dusted off a nearly decade old AP story
One thing seems certain: the far-left has been pandered to and pampered by the local authorities at both the  political conventions. As I wrote from Denver and the DNC, the protestors there were claim
You just can't keep a bad reverend down.  Sermonizing about his favorite boy, Reverend Jeremiah Wright continued his inspirational preaching  "This ordinary boy [Obama] just might be the first preside
An investigation by US military and state department officials has found that the death toll from an attack last month that has soured relations with the Afghan government is far less than either Kabu
While you might have been pre-occupied with Labor Day celebrations or political conventions, there have been a few other things going on in the world.  If I didn't know better, I'd say we are closing
It is rare that we are witnesses to the kind of smear campaign launched against Sarah Palin by Democrats, the left, and the media. The shocking virulence with which the attack has been conducted takes
Supporters of Israel, already smarting from Barack Obama's associations with Jeremiah Wright, Rashid Khalidi, and Zbigniew Brzezinski (among others), are beginning to breathe sighs of relief about Sar
Even though there are thousands of people still dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Gustav, the Republicans have decided to go ahead with a full convention schedule while reminding the country of
She's running against old Scranton Joe,Whose blue-collar pedigree we all know,Because mainstream media says it's true,Though facts don't quite support that view.Joe says himself he's middle class,But
Contrary to all the pictures -- which I admit, make it look just as if Governor Palin is a woman -- I need to raise this urgent question for our friends on the Left. We have been told by black authori
Joe Biden had this to say on the campaign trail today, according to Hilary Leila Krieger of the Jerusalem Post:Biden lashed out at those who would impugn his Israel credentials, saying, "I take a back
Anarchists have set the terms for transportation of delegates and media at the Republican National Convention. The buses carrying the RNC delegates to and from the Xcel Energy Center are being reroute
It used to be that a good stock jobber could churn up enough activity on a stock that would make it appear to an investor  who didn't know any better that the activity meant the security was on its wa
After a rather subdued first night, the Grand Old Party sent out a couple of warhorses to rally the troops and ratchet up the enthusiasm level to prepare the ground for Vice Presidential nominee Sarah
Blah, blah, blah.........Full of time and hot air, media commentators are heaping criticism on Senator John McCain and staff on their presumed incompetence in vetting Sarah Palin.  After all, her 17 y
It's fascinating to me that it's the Democrats, and especially Democrat women are attacking John McCain's choice of Gov. Sarah Palin.  Their criticisms boil down to three tangential categories1.  Crit
Congressman Robert Wexler, Barack Obama's surrogate spokesman to the Jews, has labored mightily over the past year to promote the candidacy of Barack Obama. He even distorts the truth when it suits hi
Barack Obama continues to embarrass himself with serious misreading of the law and the Constitution. But the media is not interested in pointing any of this out to voters, who are fed the line he is a
Rick Richman, editor of Jewish Current Issues, writes in anticipation of Sarah Palin's speech:I hope Governor Palin says something like this in her speech:"Since I was nominated, some have questioned
House Republican Leader John Boehner opened Tuesday's session of the RNC with a clumsy speech that confirmed my mother's warning: Republicans talk a lot about reform in these conventions -- but never
Christopher Orr pens a great piece  in The New Republic: "The case against the case against Palin." A sample:Listening to the Democratic leadership respond to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as
Secrecy News reports that the prosecution is trying to prevent a key government witness from testifying on behalf of the defendants in the AIPAC case (on the grounds that he briefly consulted with the
Okay, now I must admit that I've seen it all.  Today, I received this from those folks at Media Matters, who now have the task of protecting the back of one Barack Obama.  Excerpt:Dear Friend,I'm sure
Thomas Lifson, publisher and editor of American Thinker, emailed me Wednesday morning and asked me if I wanted to appear on Al Jazeera (world-wide Arab TV in English a nd Arabic). I thought about emai
Having failed in their attempts to label Sarah Palin a Nazi sympathizer, lefties are now working to safeguard their crucial Jewish voting block by fabricating a Jeremiah Wrightish problem for the Repu
In the wake of Sarah Palin's smashing debut as a major American political figure last night, some in the media are sulking over the public backlash to their outrageous treatment of her in the first fe
After the non scandals that have dogged of Palin including her 17 year old unmarried pregnant daughter, choosing to give birth to a Down Syndrome child, and her continuing to work as Alaska's governor
We have heard quite a lot over the past year about Barack Obama's fundraising prowess. But the good times may be over. Now it suddenly appears that John McCain and his campaign are no slouches in this
In ultra-liberal Austin, Texas, an Obama-style high school program has been unveiled: It pays poorly performing students $6-a-hour to get free after-school tutoring! Interestingly, Austin's school dis
The smug laughter among liberal elites at Sarah Palin is quieting down, replaced by low moaning. Clive Crook of The Atlantic admits that there might have been just a bit of misunderestimating going on
Iowahawk has the definitive defense of community organizers which includes useful information like this:Specifically, America's community organizers:reach out and work with communities in various ways
In response to Rudy Giuliani's and Sarah Palin's convention jibes at The O's experiences as a community organizer, the Obama campaign is issuing statements of outrage, reminding us all that Barack Oba
Last night, September 4, on CNN’s Larry King Live Show, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo announced a startling scientific discovery that is sure to capture the attention of anthropologists and bio
Oprah Winfrey and her TV staff are reportedly in turmoil over whether or not to invite Sarah Palin. The wrong decision would change the nature of her brand, transforming her into a perceived partisan
The three adult children who took turns disrupting John McCain's acceptance speech last night, now being heralded as heroes by some left wing blogs, are off-springs of the steady lineage of vitriolic
NYT media "critic" Alessandra Stanley writes about the Bill O'Reilly Obama interview:It was billed as the ultimate smackdown, and it certainly promised to be a wonk vs. wacko match: the cerebral, conc
The party's over. The balloons have fallen. I spoke on Al Jazeera. And the anarchists are all safely home in bed (after a good week of mayhem) curled up with a copy of Das Kapital.After a slow start o
I've read Peggy Noonan's WSJ rebuttal  to charges that she shortchanged John McCain's campaign in an MSNBC interview. It didn't happen that way, she says -- she was recorded surreptitiously over an op
Actions do speak louder than words. Democrats tossed 12,000 American flags in the garbage following their convention. This sort of thing takes the breath away. How much do you have to hate America to
The Democrats, supported by their allies in the old big media, never tired of highlighting Vice President Dick Cheney’s absence of military service based on student draft deferments.  But how much hav
Charles Rangel, a man who writes federal tax laws as head of the House Ways and Means Committee, not only failed to pay taxes on income he received from a luxury resort property he owns, he financed t
While the full extent of the relationship between Barack Obama and William Ayers, and the utter failure of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge to produce results after spending over 100 million dollars, a
Attending the Republican National Convention was a wonderful experience, one that I hope each of you have the opportunity to realize some day. I would like to publicly thank Pajamas Media for paying m
How scared are Obama and his advisers of that former hick town mayor and now governor of a thinly populated frozen state? This scared.  Obama to Dispatch Female Surrogates ST. PAUL — Senator Barack Ob
The national press corps is beginning to get a taste of the anger they have created among a large percentage of the American public over their treatment of Sarah Palin. It will take some longer than o
The issue of foreign policy experience has been raised among the partisan attacks against Governor Sarah Palin. One of the nation's most esteemed thinkers, Thomas Sowell thoughtfully loks at the issue
Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley is quoted as saying so in Thrusday's Chicago Sun-Times ""Chicago and the metropolitan area is very Democratic and the state is. [But] there's no machine. I thought it
If ever there was evidence that in order for John McCain to win this election he must make it about national security it is this recent survey done by Democratic pollsters for the think tank The Third
Yes, I know. The terms "common sense" and "liberal" do not generally go together. They are as oil and water or perhaps sugar and salt. However, Nick Cohen writing in The Guardian has some words of wis
The GOP base, tired of the smears and outright falsehoods against Sarah Palin being advanced by the press, have taken to razzing the media at campaign events:Hundreds of angry people in this small tow
During a nationally televised news program today, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Barack Obama disclosed he once considered serving in the military. This is a very transparent move to bolster hi
American Thinker Political Correspondent Rich Baehr doesn't think much of Zogby's accuracy and for good reason; he consistently undercounts Republicans and his methodology is sometimes suspect. But ev
Remember the dust-up before the conventions about how many houses the McCain family owned and how the old big media played that up, but then quickly backed away when the McCain campaign started bringi
While the Democrat elite and their lackeys in the elite MSM media salivate at the thought of interviewing Governor and now vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the real media, as opposed to the
James Lewis in his September 6thposting, ‘The End of Boomer Weirdness," sent me scrambling to Wikipedia to find the meaning of the term hebephrenic. What I found there led me to this:A form of schizop
trash talk: "to use disparaging or boastful language(dictionary.refererce.com) or,"In the course of a competitive situation putting down your opponent verbally or saying how good you think you are." (
As most observers predicted at the time, records from the Chicago Annenberg Challenge where Barack Obama served as President of the Board and terrorist William Ayers as head of the action arm of the o
Grown ups are always having to step in and clean up the messes left by the children. Such is the case all too often in our government.It was announced yesterday that the Treasury is going to take over
trash talk: "to use disparaging or boastful language" (dictionary.refererce.com) or,"In the course of a competitive situation putting down your opponent verbally or saying how good you think you are."
Yet another prominent political figure joined this man in saying the Barack Obama is a Muslim, which is of course a vicious smear. He was baptized by Jeremiah Wright and professes a faith in Jesus Chr
If one were to look at history, you have to say that the 10+ points John McCain and the GOP received following their convention would dissipate in a couple of weeks. Such fleeting advantages as conven
The first major (or possibly the first) paper to endorse a President, the New York Post comes out for John McCain. This was a paper that had endorsed Barack Obama in the Democratic primary over home s
Barack Obama has long been known to look upon the United Nations as a problem-solver. He would outsource a great deal of American policy to the United Nations. In late 2007, he called for America to "
As a liberal-leaning Independent, I laugh at the recent cries by pundits and naysayers who question McCain's judgment in choosing Palin. McCain's judgment?  What about Obama's judgment?Obama had acces
When the media camped out in front of Senator Joe Biden's house on the day it was announced that he would be Barack Obama's running mate I wondered how did he afford his "family compound"?After all, t
Among the messes President Clinton made for President Bush to clean up, we can now add Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the housing loan crisis.The government announced Sunday that it would take over the F
Barack Obama's proclivity to use trash talk when under stress, noted earlier on the American Thinker, continues.In this posting on Politico today, Ben Smith reports that:Amie Parnes reports from Leban
Senator Joe Biden may be one of the McCain campaigns biggest assets. Almost every time he opens his mouth, you can bet that he will blurt out something that will end up getting him in trouble.Just rec
How come the old big media has ignored Barack Obama’s association with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)?American Thinker writers, including Patrick Casey and Rick Mora
The attacks on John McCain's Vice-Presidential running mate Sarah Palin are starting to get sillier and sillier, with major media outlets now leading with inflammatory and accusatory front-page headli
As a prosecutor, I was impressed with Bill O’Reilly’s interview of Obama relative to the surge.  To put it bluntly, he put Obama in a box. The point of a good cross-examination is to lead the witness
While our press focuses on discrediting Sarah Palin, dispatching reporters to examine her relatives' driving records and the divorce records of her husband's ex-partner, important news relating to our
Ed Lasky, American Thinker's news editor, recently speculated on the ramifications of the demotions of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann as MSNBC's political anchors:"MSNBC seems to have retreated fr
Does Barack Obama suffer from multiple personality syndrome? In the wake of falling poll ratings and the release of a new poll showing that voters do not trust him or the Democratic Party when it come
Barack Obama promised to accept public financing of his general election campaign. This commitment earned him support among some liberals in the primary campaign. But after clinching the Democratic no
Both John McCain and Barack Obama made it a point during the primary campaign that they had no interest in helping to form the independent voter groups who are responsible for mostly negative advertis
More good polling news for the McCain campaign as the numbers start to roll in showing that his pick of Sarah Palin may have been the masterstroke of the election.The vital demographic of white women
The Annenberg Foundation's FactCheck.org group has been shooting down rumors about Palin spread by Obama supporters:We've been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet posting
One can take the conclusions reached in this study on the effects of globalization and climate change several ways.An intelligence forecast being prepared for the next president on future global risks
The latest Old Farmer's Almanac predicts cooler temperatures not only next year, but for possibly the next half century. Via USA Today:Based on the same time-honored, complex calculations it uses to p
Remember when Hillary took Obama apart in the debate and he then made a speech where it was  claimed he made a very rude gesture in reference to her? Many claimed it was simply an inadvertent position
The New York Times destroys the jobs of 550 union members, replacing them with non-union labor. And not for the first time is the very wealthy Pinch Sulzberger squeezing money out of workers who weren
Marc Sheppard writes:I looked forward to today with particular fervor, knowing that Camille Paglia's monthly column would be appearing in Salon and that hers would be quite a different "feminist" take
If one needed any more convincing that Barack Obama is not the man to lead America, this Jonathan Freedman article in the left wing Guardian will do the trick.It seems that Mr. Freedman is depressed b
Barack Obama has again tried to remake history. On the Bill O'Reilly Show, Barack Obama denied hearing Pastor Wright's more incendiary sermons at the Trinity United Church of Christ without specifying
The Obama campaign is denying it, of course. And indeed, the context gives their candidate some plausible deniability in that he can claim he was talking about the fake "change" offered by McCain-Pali
I read a series of articles quoting various Democrats (including The Chosen One) reacting to President Bush's proposed plan to drawdown troops stationed in Iraq. The essence of these comments was eloq
Obama claims that Vietnam was over and there was nothing going on when he says he had to have registered with the Selective Service in 1979.I had to sign up for Selective Service when I graduated from
The great and present danger now concerning the Canadian medical establishment apparently is not the cost of health care, but how Sara Palin's choice not to abort a Down syndrome baby will affect Cana
Need more proof that climate alarmism breeds insanity? Yesterday, six Greenpeace activists, on trial for criminal damage to a power station, were exonerated by a British jury on the grounds that "the
Barack Obama has a long and expensive history of earmarking. He has used them to benefit political allies in Chicago (Pastor Wright, Father Pfleger, Reverend Meeks). He has also used them to benefit f
Why in heaven's name is Barack Obama going after Sarah Palin in the first place? Shouldn't he be targeting John McCain and George Bush instead?Karl Rove thinks that Obama is making a huge tactical err
When John McCain and Barack Obama meet tonight to discuss national service at the Nation of Service Forum in New York city, it will be one of the most unique events in recent political history.They wi
Barack Obama apparently wishes his two autobiographies to be the definitive record of his past. He has blocked efforts by others who wish to independently examine his past. He won't allow his transcri
Proving that  foot in mouth disease can run in families, South Carolina Democratic chair Carol Fowler  proclaimed John McCain had chosen a running mate "whose primary qualification seems to be that sh
The Obama campaign and many in the media chorus have relentlessly criticized Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's experience to try and show she is unfit to serve as Vice President. Initially, the Obama cam
Obama's Muslim Outreach Coordinator, Mazen Asbahi, resigned in August after only ten days in his position, when it was revealed that he had ties to groups associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.  The
Barack Obama has discarded Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr., a man he had previously described as a "moral compass", "sounding board" and "confidant".  But he has been cozying up to another minister who wa
Senator Joe Biden is now saying out loud what everybody is thinking: "Hillary Clinton might have been a better pick than me."    Which raises an obvious but scary thought: What if the Chicago Machine
It's hard to determine whether the ignorance, the childish reasoning or the arrogance was the most stunning aspect of actor Matt Damon's video about Sarah Palin that surfaced this week. So mind numbin
You gotta hand it to the global warming crowd. They have mind-bending gall. New Scientist, which used to be a good pop science magazine, now quotes a NASA scientist saying:"The Antarctic wintertime ic
To her political enemies, Sarah Palin must be destroyed, even if it means humiliating her children by exposing their faults to a worldwide audience. The National Enquirer claims to have discovered a d
Alert to all those spreading anti-Palin slurs and smears on the internet and in national magazines, newspapers, and television shows: She does not support: creationism, book banning in libraries and J
Even the mainstream media is noticing that this is the 4th or 5th time that Barack Obama has declared he is going to "fight back" against those mean, nasty Republicans.The trouble is, as Allah points
Yes, there really is an official Pagans for Obama group at the mybarackobama.com website. And tonight they plan a "magickal working."Really, I am not making this up.We're going to perform a "Rolling C
Columbia University's Middle East Studies program has long been a center of anti-Israel activism. The controversy stems from a long line of professors who have been leaders in academic boycotts of Isr
Is there a vast liberal-wing conspiracy here?The snide commentary starts off in the headline:  "Showing a Confidence, in Prepared Answers."I wonder if "prepared answers" were ever noted by many in the
Gallup reports a huge shift which may mean the end of the Democrats' control of the House of Representatives.The positive impact of the GOP convention on polling indicators of Republican strength is f
Enough enriched uranium to make 5-6 nuclear bombs has 'disappeared' from the Iranian enrichment plant at Isfahan. This according to Con Coughlin of the Daily Telegraph of London. This is according to
We will be hearing a lot about how Republicans on Wall Street have harmed our economy. Hedge-funds-difficult to understand, shadowy, often marked by investors and managers reaping sky-high profits-wil
The Sarah Surge is the second "Surge" that John McCain has correctly conceived of. This latest "Surge" is pure genius.The last two weeks have shown that, much of America has not been waiting for the O
Now that even Obama has admitted that the surge in Iraq is a success, it is perhaps worth recalling just how alone – except for McCain – Bush was politically when he made that decision in January 2007
They're the new terrorist kids on the block and they call themselves "Indian Mujaheddin." Today, they set off 5 bombs in crowded areas of the city trying to create a huge body count.  What do they wan
Bob Herbert of the New York Times castigates the "dimwittedness" of Palin supporters while flaunting his own laziness, ignorance, and/or dishonesty.While watching the Sarah Palin interview with Charli
To those who believe we are out of the woods regarding the financial crisis on Wall Street, things only seem to be getting bleaker.Now we have the spectacle of the Fed jawboning big banks on Wall Stre
It's a harsh way to look at it but judging by this report from NPR, it seems that the US government has decided to thumb its nose at Pakistan and carry out cross border raids from Afghanistan without
Charlie Gibson made much of the "Bush Doctrine" in his interrogation of Sarah Palin.  As it turns out, the Bush Doctrine has several aliases: the US Constitution, Public Law 107-40, and the Kerry Doct
What about all that rhetoric about helping little people? What about Michelle Obama running down America? Now we know how Biden can afford a family compound. He gives a pittance to charity - nary a fa
What are we to do? So many words that might be used to describe Barack Obama are being shouted down as being "racist". Here is the roll -- and it is an ever-expanding one:   "Clean and articulate" (re
If you attend a place of worship this weekend, or even if you don't, you just don't think about it.  Freedom to believe, or even not to believe, is so protected by our Constitution, so integrated into
The recent exchange between Sarah Palin and Charles Gibson on the topic of the Bush Doctrine has incited a spirited discussion in the MSM and the blogosphere about what exactly the "Bush Doctrine" mea
As a recovering Baptist, I understand the look people like Sarah Palin receive because they are Pentecostal Christians. There were occasions when I to gave people that look, back when I believed the g
Lawrence Goldyn, Barack Obama's mentor during his freshman and sophomore years at Occidental College, speaks out about the young Obama in an interview with The Southern Voice, a gay newspaper in Atlan
Alaska "is essentially a welfare state taking money from the federal government," the fiercely partisan Paul Begala fumed on CNN.Michael Kinsley, writing in Time, accuses the "good citizens of Sarah P
Could it be that the McCain-Palin ticket is seeing a "Charlie Gibson bounce" in their poll numbers? Perhaps. In today's Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll,  McCain broke out of a week or more or le
I am dead set against those serving time in jail getting the right to vote. But even if you see jail as pure punishment and not a place where a criminal pays a debt to society, once someone has been r
The Times gave it the full treatment; front page above the fold, ominous headlines, and a completely misleading lede.In a 4500 word hit peice, the Times blows many things out of proportion while minim
American Thinker previously reported on Joe Biden's miserly charitable giving . His campaign released this with an eye to the news cycle:late Friday, at the beginning of a weekend dominated by coverag
In 1964, Robert F. Kennedy said the problem with power is that few people know how to use it responsibly. He asked the question: "How do we get powerful people to live for the public rather than off t
Now that we've had full field MRIs of Palin, her family and their pets, perhaps the media could focus on the many missing aspects of Obama's bio.Tom Maguire noted that we know virtually nothing about
Charlie Gibson of ABC News applied very different standards to asking questions of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. A side-by-side comparison is revealing. William Katz of Urgent Agenda lists the questio
This is a problem that has been simmering for years and is the next big challenge for the Iraqi government.The Kurds and their tough, well trained military the pesh merga, have been quietly moving out
They are like a pack of slathering hounds ... aren't they? ... the mainstream media in its pursuit to tree Sarah Palin on some obscure issue. The MSM thinks it is hot on the heels of an Alaskan snow b
Joe "Gaffe a minute" Biden has done it again. The man who will stand a heartbeat away from the presidency if Barack Obama is elected made a curious reference to "sleepovers" when trying to describe wh
It had to happen sooner or later. Once the emptiness of Obama's "Hope and Change" campaign was realized by the voters, the Democratic candidate for president had precious little substance to fall back
The Republican National Committee has nearly 6 times the amount of money on hand at the end of August as their Democratic party counterparts: DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney says the party raised more th
The New York Daily News reports  there are even more troubles lurking in Rangel's financial records:Rangel said he expects to file amended tax and House disclosure reports going back several years. A
This is an incredible story that pulls back the curtain on the media in a way that has never been done before.Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic Monthly wrote a very unflattering portrait of John McCain
The Obama campaign and its media friends prefer to send his role in the Chicago Annenberg Challenge fiasco down the memory hole. It highlights his ties to William Ayers, and it was a colossal flop,  w
The fire sale of Merrill Lynch and bankruptcy/liquidation of Lehman Brothers is one of those events we will probably look back upon after the race and either wonder why it didn't have more of an impac
Watching The View discuss politics is like watching the Mad Hatter's tea party.  Watching John McCain talk about the Constitution is like watching a toddler play with an electric knife.  Now you can w
[See also Obama's 'Dogs of War' Gameplan - editor]By now, the Obama's campaign to silence critics is blatant. There is a certain hypocrisy at work as well: Barack Obama campaigned on the need for tran
John McCain has gotten into trouble with the media for his perceived dishonest ads that exaggerate Barack Obama's position on the issues. One such ad on sex education that was cited by both the Obama
Yesterday, 26 NATO ambassadors traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia's capital city, for a conference, even though last week, Russian's envoy said cancel and rethink what you are doing.  Russian ambassador Dmi
Taking a short break from politics, this is the weirdest space news I've ever read.Having been an enthusiastic amateur space nut since I was a kid, the question "What's out there" has fascinated me fo
How insensitive are Barack Obama and his list of zillionaire cronies (and crooners) in La-La Land. As the market meltdowns the only melting that concerns Senator Obama and his pals in Hollywood are th
In a companion blog to today's article I would like to point readers to an item in National Review. Yuval Levin notes that Congressional Quarterly analyzed the voting records of  Senators Obama, Biden
Can you  believe the latest scandal over Sarah Palin? She installed a tanning bed in the governor's mansion and -- what's worse -- she paid for the contraption with her own money! The latest scandal o
They are all doing it now. I saw a piece on Fox today questioning whether or not Gibson's ABC interviews of Obama and Palin were "fair or sexist." Fair? Dealing with the devil fair. Did you see both i
Gallup reports that the number of Americans who have no confidence in the media is at an all time high. The Gallup Poll attributes this lack of confidence to the effect of Republicans' criticism of th
If you're reading this article online, you probably do know about astroturfing, but your friends who are less computer savvy do not: Astroturfing is the attempt to create the feeling of a grassroots m
A group calling itself “anonymous” (sound familiar?) hacked into Sarah Palin’s private Yahoo email account and posted excerpts online.And people wonder why we don’t see high-quality, or even “normal”
North Korea is testing an engine that would be used on their long range missiles which could concievably hit cities on the US west coast:A previously unknown missile launch site on the west coast of N
You don't have to be an economist to see that the Russian economy is in trouble, especially when the Kremlin shuts down both of its leading stock markets:  Russian markets suspend trading after sharp
For some Hillary supporters, there's just no going home:Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee, will en
In  our retail politics department: Barack Obama's campaign today is announcing a plan -- with five points and $5 billion to be spent over 10 years -- to clean up the Great Lakes," writes Stephen Koff
Initial press reports indicate the United States Embassy attack in Sanaaa, Yemen was led by 6 individuals -- one using a suicide belt while other used Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). There were also
In an earlier blog Obama's Dogs of War  I described the pattern of attacks-a blitzkrieg-that the Obama campaign launches against critics and those who scrutinize a record that is not just paper-thin b
Two weeks ago Philadelphia News regular contributor Fatimah Ali penned an op ed piece "We need Obama, not 4 more years of George Bush."  After running through the standard liberal whinefest agenda tha
The subject of illegal immigration and securing our borders has taken a back seat in recent months as the economy, especially housing and Wall Street, has surged to the forefront. If it were not for t
No official confirmation yet, but it appears that the suspected email hacker is David Kernnel, son of a Democrat member of the Tennessee state legislature. A lot of material about him has been gathere
Organizers of a rally to protest the policies of Iran toward Israel and the west have disinvited Sarah Palin from the event:The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations created a politic
Let me quote Charles Johnson from Little Green Footballs:Every once in a while a "progressive" gets tired of maintaining a false front, and comes right out and says what they really feel about the mil
As the Federal government considers significant new mandates on an already struggling automobile industry, problems loom. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate mandating tha
Joe Biden has given us a perfect illustration of how liberals see your money - not just cash you will be sending to the IRS but ALL of your hard earned dollars:"We want to take money and put it back i
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has narrowly won election as Kadmima party head thus setting the stage for her ascension to the office of Prime Minister once she forms a coalition.Livni, a former Mossad
Barack Obama is once again in the lead as this tight, unpredictable race for the president enters its final weeks.The new CBS poll has Obama ahead 48-43 while the latest Quinnipiac survey shows Obama
Barack Obama continues to dial up his trash talk, offering more evidence of his proclivity to use such language when under stress.  Yesterday in Nevada, he encouraged his followers to do likewise.This
My first reaction was to laugh when I heard that Hillary Clinton had canceled an appearance at a rally to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just because Sarah Palin was also showing up.  I
It is terrible to lose family members to a traffic accident. But why on earth would a United States Senator fabricate an embellishment and claim that it was a drunk driver's fault, when the record cle
Sometimes it is one decision at one moment that determines the game, and one decision at one moment that shapes history. The presidents of major Jewish organizations had that moment to show the united
In 2008* the Washington Post reported  (and its principal source was clearly Franklin Raines) that Raines was offering financial advice to Obama: In the four years since he stepped down as Fannie Mae'
Our tax dollars are at work bashing Sarah Palin  in state-funded higher education.  Denver's CBS affiliate has a video and web report:Metro State College is investigating a professor who asked student
Let's not forget Gawker which first published Palin's hacked emails, writingNow comes word that Anonymous, the fun-loving Internet trouble-makers based loosely around the message board 4Chan, gained a
The Republican party is making a comeback in the polls, fueled largely by the selection of Sarah Palin as Vice Presidential candidate but also due to a successful convention:New polling suggests that
The Detroit News has the answer:The poll conducted by Zogby International, on behalf of the Washington-based Arab American Institute, revealed that 20 percent of Arab-Americans now consider themselves
The Associated Press (AP) continues its arrogance in the Sarah Palin e mail hacking case.  First they refused to give the Secret Service copies of Palin's e mail.The Secret Service contacted The Assoc
The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel, has had better months. Beset by tax problems - misreporting and underreporting of his income, unethical abuse
A few days ago Rick Moran posted how so called professional photographer Jill Greenberg  deceitfully manipulated  John McCain so as to produce pictures that made him look as frightening, as old, as un
Islamabad was rocked by a huge truck bomb today that killed at least 40 people and injured scores more.The blast occurred at the Marriott Hotel - a popular place for western media. A huge truck bomb e
The new Obama ad that attacks John McCain on social security is so brazenly a lie that FactCheck.org calls the claims made that John McCain wants to cut social security benefits in half a "falsehood."
TGDaily, a tech site, explains how the suspected Palin email hacker, 20-year-old David Kernell, a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and son of Democratic Tennessee state representative
There has been very little news coverage about the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, especially when compared to the saturation coverage that followed Katrina.  Glenn Reynolds provided some links to photos
Friday's online edition of the Lafayette, Indiana Journal and Courier features a story  about an anti-war demonstration that took place on the Memorial Mall at Purdue University during the last couple
What follows is definitive proof that much of America is poised to elect a divisive, juvenile, and deceitful candidate for president.  In the Friday, Sept. 19 edition of the Wall Street Journal Rush L
Is the bailout of the financial system a sign that the "Bush Coup" against America is almost complete.Larisa Alexandrovna at Huffington Post thinks so:In 2000, the long fought for and long admired dem
I know many AT readers are sick of polls or worse, believe them to be rigged. Believe me, we understand. The horse race aspect to politics can be both confusing and disheartening. And, as we write con
I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that NBC would air a skit on their hit show Saturday Night Live that savages John McCain while be factually challenged. What is surprising is that former SNL writer
The New York Times published an editorial "The Right to Smear"  praising a federal  judge in Virginia who has blocked a group from running ads on Barack Obama's positions on abortion.The Times dispara
While the New York papers are talking about Congressman Charles Rangel's rent controlled apartments voters in Florida are talking about how Democrat Tim Mahoney, the man who replaced Mark Foley, claim
The worldwide left is clearly alarmed that Barack Obama's campaign appeared derailed by Sarah Palin's emergence as a cultural icon representing all that they despise. As a result, they are pulling out
Two articles have come out at the end of this week.  I would like to characterize them, but I’m not sure how to do it without sounding overly partisan or, perhaps, rabidly anti-something.  Then again,
Why would someone involved in keeping nonprofits ethical give the appearance of being involved in political partisanship?When Ricky Ricardo caught Lucy in some very compromising position he said she h
Ed Lasky points us to this revealing article from Commentary Magazine's blog by James Kirchick that proves John Stewart doesn't know squat about foreign policy.The scary part is that Stewart's Daily S
In one of the most shameful, cowardly and foolish displays by the organized  Jewish community in America since its weak response to the Holocaust, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organiza
MSNBC reports on the former Hillary staffers now supporting McCain and making strong arguments against The One. One must wonder if (officially) pro-Obama Hillary urged these loyal staffers to not do t
In an action resembling a bizarre Saturday Night Live sketch, organizers of a non/bipartisan rally opposing Iran's President Ahmadinejad and his hate filled message were forced to retract an invitatio
Last week I explained the propaganda tool called astroturfing, spreading stories through paid or coordinated sources to make it appear it is a spontaneous, volunteer effort when it is anything but.Tod
Every so often, check out who is donating to whom in politics.  While Democrats like to brand the Republican party as the party of Wall Street, it is actually the Democrats who get most of Wall Street
In a Washington Post article entitled "McCain Loses His Head," conservative columnist George Will hammers McCain for calling for the resignation of Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange C
News outlets as diverse as WCBS Radio; Newsday; Agence France-Presse; Fox News; The New York Sun; Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti; and even the Voice of America elected to report on the anti-I
Caroline Glick has an outstanding piece in today's Jerusalem Post excoriating those Jewish organizations which chose abortion over Israel in demanding that Palin not be allowed to address the anti-Ira
Independent Sector, a supposedly nonpartisan nonprofit organization helping other nonprofits be ethical, has been on the Fannie Mae take.Reader TS brings the following to my attention:Independent Sect
This could be a significant development in a very close race. And it almost certainly will affect the outcome in PA, MI, and OH.Barack Obama's level of support among voters who preferred Hillary Clint
Fact Check.Org has caught the Obama campaign in another lie about John McCain's position on the issues. This time, its about health insurance and the Obama campaigns contention that McCain wants to do
There's no other way to describe a rally where 2-4,000 people show up when in past years, the numbers exceeded 25,000.The Rally Against Iran was a failure because liberal Democrats and the Obama campa
Accountability is a difficult concept for some. The Berkeley tree sitters who have no respect for property rights seem to think that free speech means no consequences. The San Francisco Chronicle's Ma
Is there any sanity left in America? Are we really going to do it - elect someone who views our children as soldiers in a revolution? Obama's ideas on education "reform" sound innocuous enough. But as
Does the rise of absentee balloting hurts John McCain. The Wall Street Journal today reports on the rise of early voting for President: By the time Election Day arrives, more than half of the voters i
The Pelosi Dems in the House have passed a bill claiming to open the US Continental Shelf to perfectly safe oil exploration and drilling, but actually locking it up for another decade or two. If they
At NationalPost.com, journalist David Frum has a piece in which he discusses what he perceives to be the transformation of the pro-life movement.  His thesis is that the widespread acceptance of unwed
This is pretty brazen even for a Democrat.It appears that Ohio's Secretary of State doesn't like Republicans very much. In fact, Jennifer Brunner has been referred to as the "most partisan" official i
Who was that guy who gave the speech a couple minutes after 9 PM Eastern? He seems vaguely familiar. Oh yeah, that's the President with the 26% approval ratings who has almost disappeared from the nat
Al Gore must know he is losing the argument over global warming, for he is now urging civil disobedience (i.e., taking the law into one's own hands) to stop the construction of new coal-fired electric
In remarks made in New York City today, John McCain announced that he would suspend his campaign on Thursday in order to go back to Washington and work in a bi-partisan manner to solve the economic cr
Allah calls him 'the little terrorist." We might call him something unprintable.But there is no doubt that President Ahmadinejad is in his element when speaking before the UN General Assembly. You mig
Outsiders familiar with the proper workings of science have long known that modern Climate Science is dysfunctional. Now a prominent insider, MIT Meteorology Professor Richard S. Lindzen, confirms how
In a dynamite article for NRO, Stanley Kurtz combines his research into the Chicago Annenberg Challenge records with an FOIA request for documents from the University of Illinois to show the lengths t
Barack Obama chose Joe Biden to be his Vice Presidential running mate presumably because Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign relations Committee, brings foreign policy heft to the ticket. Critics ha
Stanley Kurtz, writing for NRO, reports more of his finds in the Daley Library holdings of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), including more evidence that Obama has not been forthright in explaini
You probably don't know me. I'm the one person in the world who explained and then predicted the magnitude and timing of the U.S. real estate bubble on the exact month of the peak in a professional ec
Yesterday, American Thinker carried my blog about the trend towards absentee balloting in many states across America and noted how this would benefit Barack Obama disproportionably more than John McCa
Global warming alarmists face yet another challenge to their predictions of an inferno of doom. The solar wind is losing power, and is at a fifty year low, according to NASA. The Ulysses solar probe r
It would be electoral malpractice for the McCain campaign and its supporters to let Joe Biden's remarkable demonstration of cluelessness go unremarked. The man supposed to bring experience to the Demo
The list of leaders Sarah Palin met with yesterday in New York tells an interesting story. Huan Vu of the blog Neomodernism notices the theme:Today Palin met two head of states, Karzai of Afghanistan
Not the crime but the cover-up, as Woodward and Bernstein liked to say. Well, Obama's close alliance with Bill Ayers, Leftie bomb maker from the 60s, may not have been a crime. But O sure peddled a ba
Did anyone else happen to find it strange that Bill Clinton twice the other night in his interview with Greta Van Susteren made reference to the campaign being over? VAN SUSTEREN: How much time are yo
Prominent among the 150 or so Americans who think President Ahmadinejad of Iran is the cat's meow was one of Barack Obama's big fundraisers.Jodie Evans - co-founder of Code Pink with Medea Benjamin -
Now why didn't they have independent study projects like this when I was in school?AP is reporting that the University of Massachusetts has nixed the idea of an Amherst chaplain to grant two hours of
Are all the Democratic leaders just gaffe-masters? At what point does the selling of Barack Obama to the pro-Israel community become just absurd and pathetic? Doesn't the absurdity in and of itself in
The irony in Senator Barack Obama's comment about a president needing to be able to do two things at once passed without notice.  It was more than an indirect put-down of McCain. It revealed the focus
Survey USA conducted a flash poll immediately after the announcement by John McCain yesterday that he was suspending his campaign and skipping Friday's debate in Mississippi. What the pollsters found
Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats have made Iraq a key wedge issue to help bolster Democrats' prospects in November. As the level of violence has plummeted in the wake of the surge that both Ba
The root of the current financial crisis is all those bad mortgages written to people who couldn't afford them. And why were so many bad loans made? Because the federal government pushed for it, in th
Sure Bill and Hill are enthusiastically supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign bid; sure they're going all out campaigning for him.  And because of that Bill Clinton, who is a fine Christian
Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fl), a man impeached, convicted and removed from office as a federal judge for corruption and perjury, had this to say at a panel of African-American and Jewish Democrats
If you ever believed the myth of female weakness and victimhood, consider the Greek Furies. When Sophocles and Euripides wanted to symbolize the vengeance of the gods they didn't choose some devilish-
We'll be live blogging the presidential debate:Thomas Lifson:Barack Obama's prep time was shortened, while the subject matter has broadened. A good sign for McCainFirst question: Obama did his canned
At a Capitol Hill press conference this morning, Harry Reid first insisted Barack Obama's "principles of fairness" be considered in any negotiations, then had the gall to blame yesterday's breakdown o
Kathleen Parker writing in the National Review has taken a brave but stupid stand in favor of asking Sarah Palin to withdraw from the race. Her reasoning:Palin's recent interviews with Charles Gibson,
Despite the fact there is no agreement on a Wall Street bailout, John McCain will go to Mississippi tonight and participate in the presidential debate. From Mike Allen and Dan Reilly of Politico: Sen.
While the irony of watching the Democrats (approval level - 9%) support and force through a President Bush (approval level - 34%) crafted economic bailout bill that Gallup just announced has public ap
A recent advertisement by the Al Gore backed we-can-solve-it-dot-organization closes with the claim that it has been “approved” by “the American people.”  No, it hasn’t.  Count me out.  I demand it. T
A remarkable study in the self-absorption so common on the left has been published by blogger and author Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez, who bought a nice home in Scottsdale, AZ  that is now worth less than s
File this one under "Things the liberal media does that makes them look petty and stupid."You are not going to believe this, but Katie Couric and the entire CBS news division are refusing to refer to
Reports continue that as  in previous elections ACORNS's fraudulent voter registrations continue unabated:Two suspicious Seminole County voter registration cards became a flash point Wednesday in the
The man who created the concept of "community organizer" left a legacy of notable aphorisms.A racially integrated community is a chronological term timed from the entrance of the first black family to
Investigative reporters from Chicago's Sun Times continue to examine the record of former Illinois State Senator Barack Obama. A new story emerged there yesterday.In a September 25 article entitled "O
Democratic leaders have stepped back from supporting a non-binding resolution on Iran. They did so on the pretext that the resolution called for a blockade of Iran and that such a blockade of Iran wou
Will someone please help me understand Senator Barack Obama's statement that "I'm sure they'll call me if they need my help?"  He was talking about the Washington D.C. pow wow to resolve the financial
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has  called for wiping Israel off the map, denies the Holocaust and proclaims his desire to bring about another one. He also recently delivered a speech at the Un
Further proof that Governor Sarah Palin's family is so strange which is why the liberals just can't understand them--and her. This from the Caucus Blog at the NY Times:Her parents, Chuck and Sally Hea
Like me the WSJ thinks it's outrageous that the Democrats are trying to find money in the bailout to keep their friends in ACORN well nourished:Acorn has promoted laws like the Community Reinvestment
I saw something interesting a very blue beachfront LA community last night. I signed up for a debate-watching party with a Republican household -- if anything just to see what kind of Republicans woul
During the Clinton Administration, the New York Times celebrated the disastrous loosening of credit standards that got Fannie Mae in trouble. Brainless liberalism on display. Steven Holmes included th
Last Tuesday, CBS affiliate Channel 4 TV News in St. Louis reported that some Missouri sheriffs and prosecutors have formed a truth squad to target anyone who engages in misleading ad or statements ab
How quickly Americans forget the difficult and bloody lessons of the past! Human culture, prior to the invention of mass media, remembered the lessons of war via song ("Mine eyes of seen the glory....
This is pretty amazing bias - even for CNN.They headline their piece on the debate poll “Round 1 in debate goes to Obama, poll says.” But about 10 grafs down, we are informed that there was a slight i
To those of us of a certain age, Paul Newman will forever be "Cool Hand Luke" - the wisecracking, brooding guy who refused to conform to life in prison. Strother Martin's famous line - "What we have h
Let's see if I have this straight: Obama just said in last night's debate that Al Qaeda is in sixty countries, sixty countries, folks, count ‘em. But, as he said earlier, not in Iraq. Think about that
Henry Kissinger is none too pleased that Barack Obama seems to have misstated the former Secretary of State's position on Iran.Obama keeps citing Kissinger as agreeing with him that a meeting with Ira
The media is scoring this one as a win for Obama.Boston Globe: "Good night for McCain, better one for Obama" is the headline for an article  (owned by the New York Times).  Ridiculous.The Fact-Checkin
A Business Week article on Saudi Arabia portrays a kingdom eager to pump oil far above its OPEC quota despite a rapid decline in the price of oil on the world markets. This places them in an adversari
Nancy Pelosi has a draft financial rescue plan this Sunday morning, according to Fox News .  It's scarier than anything else you'll see this Halloween season.Here is one statement from that plan:If th
Sarah Barracuda could win this election on Thursday night for the Republicans. All she needs is the courage to tell the truth in her debate with human gaffe machine Joe Biden -- with John McCain's per
The Rassmussen Daily Tracking Poll as well as the Gallup daily survey have shown a definite trend toward Barack Obama over recent days.Today's Rasmussen poll has Obama maintaining a 6 point lead natio
The publisher of a forthcoming book that features a graphic depiction of sexual encounters between Muhammed and his child bride had his house firebombed yesterday by a gang of Muslim extremists:Early
Flash! Poll shows Obama won debate! Obama could have sent his empty suit to the debate and still "won" in the polls:" Then again, who would have noticed the difference?A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll show
File this one under "If John McCain had pulled something like this the media would have..." (Fill in the blank.)Apparently, the family of the dead soldier whose name Obama wears on a bracelet (a name
No matter where you come down on this bailout, you are going to have to deal with the fact that the federal government is, to a large extent, taking over a big chunk of the financial services industry
You Tube and Warner Music Group today pulled a highly popular video that very succinctly and clearly spelled out the roots of the current economic crisis.The 9:59 video entitled "Burning Down the Hous
The House of Representative has rejected the bailout bill pushed by Secretary of the Treasury (and former Goldman Sachs chief) Henry Paulson, the House Democratic leadership, and President Bush. The D
Well, I guess you can say anything you want once you don't have to pay for it politically.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - resigned under a cloud of corruption charges but still PM until Livni forms a gov
If the problem of separatism in Russia were a leaking dam, President Dmitri A. Medvedev, or rather Putin, might run out of fingers.  Since the extinction of the USSR as an international entity, separa
For you poll watchers out there, this Rassmussen daily survey could be seen as either an outlier in that all other polls show Obama pulling ahead or it could be viewed as a more accurate reflection of
Voters in Austria have increased their support for "far right" parties in Sunday's general election there. The left wing UK Guardian reports:Austria was shaken by a political earthquake yesterday when
One of Barack Obama's most famous supporters is a fully certified, 100%, dyed in the wool lunatic.Michael Moore has weighed in today with what can only be described as a "curious" take on the financia
William Kristol has a great op ed in today's New York Times that takes an unblinking look at the state of the race and what John McCain must do to get back in the race and eventually prevail.Starting
This kind of cynicism belongs in the Hall of Fame of Shame.St. Louis prosecutor Jennifer Joyce, member of the Obama "Truth Squad" in Missouri made up of members of law enforcement pleads innocent to c
In his continuing courage to expose the truth, the most widely-read columnist at the Chicago Tribune, John Kass, dared to write in his column on Wednesday, Sept. 24, "McCain ad sends Daley into a gear
I'm going to go out on a limb and make an economic prediction:  if there is no bailout, the economy will keep muddling along without even entering a formal recession.  The Dow will stay comfortably ab
Warmist hysteria continues to escalate, as more drastic measures are proposed in tandem with hyperbolic predictions of doom. Big Brother will soon control what you eat if the hysterics get their way.A
It is somewhat odd that we did not read about the role of the African-American community and the Congressional Black Caucus in the failure of the Bailout Bill. Instead, the media such as the New York
In a step that at the moment appears to have uncertain consequences, the US military is handing control of the 100,000 Sunni "Awakening Council" militias to the Shia dominated Iraqi government. Recogn
When I grew up in Milwaukee it was a model of civic probity. In recent years it has become a site of blatant election fraud. Yesterday, there was an effort to punish some of it. Greg J. Borowski of th
There is something very sad about the death of a newspaper.It's not like the death of any other business. For many of us, the very concept of a newspaper is a noble undertaking, one that should be res
George Stephanopoulos reports on the ABC blog Political Radar that Congress is looking at 4 different options on how to proceed:1. Muscle the bill through in its current form. Depending on what the ma
The Honorable Lindsey GrahamRE:  Defeated "Wall Street Bailout" billDear Senator Graham: Despite disagreeing with you on some issues and finding your stance on others lukewarm, I support your re-elect
Gwen Ifill has compromised herself and her employer, the publicly-funded PBS by failing to disclose an obvious conflict of interest. The degree of media bias for the Obama campaign becomes all the mor
The continuing financial crisis and doubts about Sarah Palin's qualifications have combined to make this the week from hell for John McCain and the national polls.Rasmussen still has McCain trailing b
Jonah Goldberg has a superior article in today's New York Post where he views the current crisis on Capitol Hill as a "pox on both your houses."Goldberg believes neither Democrats (who have a big resp
Against an avalanche of evidence that our current financial problems resulted from mismanagement and corruption on the part of Democrats and their cronies, especially at Fannie Mae, the Democrats have
We’ve come a long way since the days when Obama was going to reach across the aisle and get things done. He confesses: “I don’t think me calling House Republican members would have been that helpful,
Since Nancy Pelosi injected religion into Abortion politics by making erroneous remarks about Catholic teaching, the Church continues to respond  -- sharply.  Straight from the Vatican, U.S. Archbisho
In the last paragraph of a Washington Post editorial on the end of the moratorium on offshore drilling in US waters is this statement:More important, in a world of skyrocketing demand for energy, it i
The blinders that liberals in the media put on when it comes to Republican candidates is appalling. The Boston Globe runs an editorial headlines: "Wasilla made rape victims pay:"ONE QUESTION that Sara
AT writers will be live blogging tonight's debate. Join the fun.Thomas LifsonBiden opens with the expected attack on Bush economic policies. Too bad Bush isn't running.Ed Lasky:Biden answers a questio
Just  how much in donations from foreign countries is pouring into the Obama campaign coffers is a question one FEC auditor would like to have answered. The problem is that evidently, his bosses at th
In advance of her performance at tonight's debate, Gwen Ifill has already tipped her hand respecting her animus toward Sarah Palin. From an actual transcript of her PBS show Washington Week.  GOV. SAR
In a move guaranteed to further outrage helpless liberal feminists and others threatened by Governor Sarah Palin's  (R-Alaska) accomplishments and devotion to choice while also "clinging to guns and r
This is either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.Gwen Ifill, who is writing a book about the new generation of black leaders, using Barack Obama's "stunning" campaign as a glowing example of a new
The old Soviet Union used to boast about the flat income distribution under socialism, as compared with the "savage inequalities" found under capitalism. This never stopped its leadership cadre from l
Time's cover is a black-and-white photo from 1931, showing unemployed men lining up at a Depression-era soup kitchen in Chicago, opened by Al Capone, in front of a sign that reads, 'Free Soup, Coffee
There were two fabulous "conservative versus conservative" debates this morning on the financial rescue plan. Watching these two short exchanges between conservative idealogue and former Congressman D
There was a time when I believed Republicans could dominate if they would but campaign ruthlessly on the issues where their advantages are greatest: defense and national security, unquestioned patriot
The Senate voted for the bailout by 74-25 .  Both Barack Obama and John McCain voted FOR the bailout.  The bailout was also strongly supported by President Bush.Why do we have a Republican Party?There
To listen to the MSM, you would think Sarah Palin will come out on stage tonight in St. Louis wearing overalls and sporting a piece of straw shooting out of her ears. The idea that Palin is "dumb" is
The music  video of children, most seemingly no older than 10 - and in an ACORNless world way too young to vote - wearing identical outfits as they joyously sing what a great country this will be unde
So California needs a bail out. The state government is out of money. The Golden State, blessed with incredible beauty, perfect weather, fabulous soils, plenty of coast line and even much of the world
Another one to go in the "Joe Biden Gaffe Hall of Fame." From last night's debate via John Hinderaker and Powerline:This isn't what's conventionally described as a gaffe, and it won't swing any votes,
ACORN, responsible for so much vote fraud in Wisconsin and elsewhere, violated Wisconsin law by employing felons for  its voter registration drive. Milwaukee election officials approved this and were
During the Vice Presidential Debate, Sen. Biden took the position that bankruptcy courts should have the power to reduce the principal amount owed on mortgages:"...we should be allowing bankruptcy cou
If the economy is so wracked with crisis that we've just gotta have the pork-ridden $810,000,000,000 economic bailout, why is Wells Fargo about to top the government-sponsored Citi Group "rescue" of W
My jaw hit the floor when I heard Biden say this:Here's what the president said when we said no. He insisted on elections on the West Bank, when I said, and others said, and Barack Obama said, "Big mi
The McCain campaign was out of the box quickly last night, releasing a damning list of 14 lies told by Joe Biden during the debate.We highlighted below the biggest lie he uttered - that Obama would me
Frequent AT blog contributor Ethel Fenig brought this to my attention at Little Green Footballs; Biden repeating the bald faced, easily confirmed lie that Barack Obama never said he would meet with th
Remind me why protest groups who interfere with the running of the US government deserve taxpayer dollars, which they already receive and which they would have received in abundance if the Democrats h
I keep hearing from people (politically involved or not) that the current bubble popping loudly on Wall Street results from "Deregulation," which is, of course, deeply associated since Reagan's times
Political analyst William Bradley, writing in the Huffington Post, has penned an interesting - and I believe spot on - analysis of how John McCain can overcome his recent difficulties and win the race
Dear Senator McCain:There are reports that the McCain campaign will take a tougher tone with Barack Obama and highlight the ties with Rezko and Ayers but ignore Jeremiah Wright, Jr. This report was pu
Today the NYT carries a report by Scott Shane which purports to demonstrate that contrary to the work of unnamed bloggers (ahem), the Ayers/Obama contact was minimal.  This front page account represen
Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes will discuss the close relationship between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi - Palestinian supporter and the professor at Columbia University - on a special broadcast o
Sarah Palin, the ever smiling, eternal optimist, doesn't give up easily as proven by this interview with Carl Cameron of Fox News the day after the vice presidential debate. When asked by Cameron abou
A couple of weeks ago, I was pleased to be interviewed by Rauli Virtanen, a noted Finnish journalist with quite a career. He was filming a documentary on Barack Obama which will run on European televi
I am informed that Ishamel Jones' new book on the CIA,  "The Human Factor" pp. 254-255, says of Plame:"Newspaper reports suggesting that Plame had been involved in intelligence operations overseas as
The Obama/Biden campaign mocks McCain as being too old so the MSM ghoulishly speculates on the odds of McCain dying in his first term while reminding all if that happens she would then succeed him.The
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's column today about racism in  America and its impact on Barack Obama's road to the White House had this gem:Most of the lost votes aren’t those of dyed-in-t
While Bill O'Reilly absolutely exploded at Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) on his Fox news show The O'Reilly Factor, screaming at him, "Shouldn't everybody in the country be angry with you right now?" - whil
Henry Waxman waxed righteously indignant, as the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee grilled Richard Fuld of Lehman Brothers, deploring his $480 million in pay the last 8 years. One Democr
Any guesses where Al Gore points the blame for the June floods and tornadoes that ravaged Iowa?  Yep!As reported by the Des Moines Register, the world's most famous Chicken Little told attendees of a
The shocking video of uniformed youngsters marching and chanting about Obama we blogged yesterday turns out to have been organized during school hours by a middle school teacher at a (taxpayer funded)
This is not very good news but the fact is, for Afghanistan to progress, they must stop the bloodshed: From CNN:"Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the
Thankfully, our politicians passed the bailout.  They ignored the ignorant voters and those "free market" Republican ideologues in the House. Look at the results in just the first few days afterward.W
You just knew this was going to happen.  According to Chicago Sun Times entertainment columnist Bill Zwecker, Sarah Palin will probably appear on Saturday Night Live as...herself.  Or Tina Fey, who ad
A New York Times article today tries to spread the blame for the current financial crisis equally among Wall Street, Congress and the "White House". This blurring of responsibility is shameful. Much o
Seems as if the players over at Saturday Night live might read American Thinker. This weekend they ran a skit that mentioned the fall of Wachovia, the finance crisis and the roles of Herb and Marion S
When the Iranian Oil Minister speaks, we better hope that no one in the Democrat Congress is listening.  The "Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossiein Nozari said on Saturday that a price of under 100 dol
Left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz reveals that a pro-Obama PAC deceived Israeli officials into issuing flattering comments about the candidate without revealing that it was to be used on politica
Mac Fuller writes:Final QuestionQuestion, Tom Brokaw:    What don't you know and what will you do to learn it?Answer, Senator Obama:    That it's not all about me; nothing.Answer, Senator McCain:    W
Join us for instant reactions to the town hall forum meeting of Barack Obama and John McCain.Clarice Feldman:Rules of the gameTom Brokow has selected 14 questions from the 80 "uncommitted" voters who
Sol Stern, writing in City Journal,  highlights what is often overlooked in the discussion about Ayers' and Obama's Chicago Annenberg Challenge: It represents yet another effort to spread Ayers' brand
Is there an effort underway to manipulate the box office for the new conservative-themed film "An American Carol?"Little Miss Attilla fleshes out the story: What we know: in at least ten theaters nati
When Judge Alito was being considered for the Supreme Court Senator Kennedy expressed concern that Judge Alito might have had some association with a group called CAP (Concerned Alumni of Princeton) w
Evidence has been found of the contempt with which the elite left regards those whom they manipulate to gain power for themselves and their puppets.  A network of wealthy leftists using their money to
My colleague at Pajamas Media  Jennifer Rubin also writes at Commentary's excellent blog Contentions.She and her associates are frequently quoted here at American Thinker beecause we believe they are
If things keep going in this direction, pretty soon it will be racist to criticize the Chicago Cubs - calling ballplayers who quit in the middle of the playoffs "losers" is just the same as using the
Rachel Bird married Gideon Codding in church last month, but discovered that "Party A" or "Party B" have replaced "bride" and "groom" on California marriage licenses. Jenniger Garza of the Sacramento
I wish I could say that this kind of thing will make a difference, that the American people will rise up in their righteous anger at this fakir, this rookie with radicals as his friends and mentors an
Apparently the Spanish birth rate is low that the country desperately needs  new babies to continue. Really desperately. That seems to be the only logical  reason I could think of when reading that a
NBC has pulled the video of the Saturday Night Live skit satirizing the role of George Soros and the Sandlers in the collapse of Wachovia Bank off the internet and is deleting comments on its message
The American media largely ignores a brave and honest Democrat telling the truth about the financial crisis. It takes Dominic Lawson of the left-leaning UK Independent to tell the truth:Congressman Ar
Cutting out every single tax break they can get their hands on, including your 401(k), which has proven a popular way for Americans to save and invest enough money to afford to retire. Sarah Hansard o
Another piece in the puzzle of Barack Obama has been revealed, greatly strengthening the picture of a man groomed by an older generation of radical leftists for insertion into the American political p
Looking at the facially preposterous claim by Obama's campaign that he did not know of Ayers' past, Jonah Goldberg reviews the papers in Chicago relevant to the issue and concludes either Obama never
The debate or the misnamed "Townhall" last night was pretty much a wash as far as points scored and visuals. McCain came off slightly worse according to even most conservatives.But McCain's problem is
Would you like to know the real difference between liberals and conservatives?Liberals believe your money is the governments. Washington lets you keep a certain percentage of their money (how generous
Early voting is well underway in several states across the country and you know what that means; various liberal groups doing their damndest to turn the United States electoral system into one that Hu
The New York Times whitewashed Bill Ayers as someone engaged in "school reform". Tom Brokaw referred to Ayers as an educational reformer on Meet the Press. How accurate is this moniker? Not very.   Sc
Wednesday night October 8, the holiest day within Judaism, is the beginning of Yom Kippur.  In Israel, that day now has a special poignancy, a special tragic memory as exactly 35 years ago Egypt and S
One quick exchange happened during yesterday's presidential debate wherein Senator Barak Obama revealed his understanding of the nation's economy.  Many missed it.Here's what he said, "But understand
Jack Cashill's Who Wrote Dreams of My Father raises a question that may not be that hard to answer. When the satirical novel Primary Colors by "anonymous" came out with its unflattering look at the Cl
The last few days we have been treated to hyperventilation over the outrage of AIG executives attending a lavish sales incentive meeting at a ritzy California spa. I hope that Henry Waxman and his com
The radical group ACORN has been working for the Obama campaign since its inception - despite its tax status as a "non-partisan" organization with offices in dozens of cities, ACORN has been the sharp
If  John McCain had done something like this, it would be front page news and doom his candidacy:From Hot Air: According to internal Soviet Union documents from the SALT-2 negotiations in  1979, Joe B
Brian Anderson pens an important op-ed in Investor's Business Daily today demonstrating the real threat to political speech should Barack Obama win the election.  The campaign already has a track reco
What is it with the legacy media? Don't they know when to let up? It's like a pit-bull with a rabbit. Anything that can possibly be portrayed as scandalous or even questionable (that is, anything havi
Excellent piece by Karl Rove in today's Wall Street Journal. He points out that there are probably more undecided and persuadable voters at this stage since any campaign since 1968:For those open to M
The draft of a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) has been leaked and the verdict is grim:The classified report finds that the breakdown in central authority in  Afghanistan has been accelerated
Senator Obama piously proposed a law in 2006 to outlaw the sort of intimidation his own campaign has been practicing this year. In a blog entry titled Barack Obama's Dogs of War  American Thinker desc
I actually expected this earlier in the campaign given John McCain's surge in  early-mid September. And, of course, we have had hints of the race card all  along from the Obama campaign.But these rema
One of the reasons for the success of the surge in Baghdad was the construction of blast walls that separated Sunni and Shia neighborhoods. These walls gave a certain level of security to both sides w
Barack Obama wants the United States to replace its current electric power generation capability with Green Power (e.g. wind) in 10 years. The current crisis in the stock markets renders such a plan i
After 8 years of watching while Democrats personally savage President Bush and conservatives with epiteths like "dictator" and "fascist," while seeing the rage on people's faces contorting in anger an
The New York Times  looks at a few oddball donors and concludes this is not much of a  problem. Fact is that I believe $200 million dollars came in under the $200 per  dollar increment so there could
The Wall Street Journal has a laugh out loud piece that reveals the "magic" in many of Obama's proposals.A sampling:To kick off our show tonight, Mr. Obama will give 95% of American working families a
Intrepid bloggers at Sweetness & Light, Gateway Pundit and Riehl World View have documented the lies that the Obama campaign is publishing on its "Fight the Smears" website. Confident that the media w
Well, you have to admit it's a better lie than Ayers being "just some guy in the neighborhood:"In an interview with the sympathetic conservative talk radio host this afternoon, Obama offered the clear
Investor's Business Daily publishes a landmark editorial explaining in detail why we should be very concerned about the long association Bill Ayers and Barack Obama. The problem with Ayers is less his
Michael Barone, renowned as a level-headed and fair conservative, joins AT in worrying about the prospect of an Obama administration silencing its critics. The campaign has behaved in thuggish ways to
Does this mean I can book my vacation for Pyongyang?  The U.S. says North Korea has agreed to every nuclear inspection demand the Bush  administration has sought, so the North is being dropped from a
Rule #1 in liberal blogging; if you aren't sure of the provenance of a document, print it anyway. That appears to be the case of this hilarious hoax perpetrated by some unknown internet jokester who p
This is an interesting post from WLS at Pat Patterico's site.  He does some math and, based upon what we know and what we can surmise regarding how much Obama has raised and spent, it would appear tha
Republicans say the entire investigation was a partisan witch hunt. (the Democratic legislator in charge promised "an October surprise"). Most of the Democratic members of the Committee had their pict
Is the United States bankrupt yet? If not, where will we manage to get another trillion dollars?I report the numbers, you decide.I especially like the new "Hope Bonds" that have been issued.  Can "A w
The news out of Chicago is not good for Governor Rod Blagojevich. Convicted Chicago political operator Antoin "Tony" Rezko is talking to prosecutors about what he knows as far as corruption in Illinoi
Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat, has unleashed the vicious attack on John McCain and Sarah Palin that we have been anticipating of late.  After noting that McCain and Palin were "sowing the seeds of
You may not have heard but one of the most important meetings in a long time is happening in Washington this week.The finance ministers of the world's richest countries are meeting to try and craft a
Recognize a name here among the beneficiaries of taxpayer dollars? As Chicago (and Illinois, for that matter) reels from a fiscal crisis resulting in a cutback of services and layoffs of thousands, Ma
Writer Andrew Klavan has a devastating piece in today's Washington Post that lists the 5 myths of Hollywood liberals.A sampling:Hollywood used to be called the Dream Factory, but nowadays it seems to
As stocks traded around the world on October 1, the bailout was in trouble.  The last thing that had happened was the US House of Representatives had voted against it.  The market held its breath, hop
The Obama campaign Muslim outreach director, Minha Husaini, met with the Council of American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society, groups linked with terror groups the Muslim Brotherhood
Stardom at home, danger to family left behind plus propaganda drilled into their heads against the US since birth, once again didn't stop two Cuban soccer players, in the US for the World Cup soccer q
James Taranto, of the Wall Street Journal's opinionjournal.com site today criticizes my blog post of three days ago. I trust he enjoyed a restful weekend.A frequent refrain of our readers was also sou
Wall Street is giving a vote of confidence in the plan by major economic powers to flood the markets here and overseas with billions of dollars, buy up stakes in large banks, guarantee more billions i
Nancy Pelosi said a few weeks ago that we should nationalize the oil companies. Well, Hugo Chavez has already done that and perhaps we should examine the results. They may be instructive for clueless
One of the oldest tricks in politics -- at least on the left -- is to accuse your enemy of that which you are most guilty. Barack Obama has been taking a beating based on his personal and political as
This would be bigger news at any other time. But with the economic crisis and presidential election, this attack by Turkey on Kurdish rebels on Iraqi soil rates barely a blip on the news-o-meter: Turk
This trend may or may not mean much, but Obama's  numbers appear to have peaked a few days back. Whether Congressman John Lewis's racist comments have had anything to do with this, is unclear.  The ma
If you were an adult in the early 1970's and attentive to current events, you may not need an introduction to William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn. This is for 30-something and younger voters.If the Bill
While the elitists mock Republican vice presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as a frozen moose hunter who thinks conducting foreign relations means she can see Russia from her house,
For the past several years, the American Thinker has catalogued some of the looniest and most disgusting examples of Bush Derangement Syndrome flowing from the vituperative pen of Paul Krugman.It pain
While Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) declared he was willing to meet with and talk to Iran without any preconditions (yes he did so back off Obama handlers; just listen
It looks like ACORN and the Ohio Secretary of State will not be able to guarantee a fixed election after all. The Darke Blog explains:[a] 3-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently vac
In academic leftist circles, it has become a badge of honor to proclaim support for unrepentant terror bomber Bill Ayers. Thousands of people claiming scholarly affiliation have already put up their n
Fred Barnes is no alarmist. He is one of the most insightful political analysts in America. I have been reading him for more than 20 years and he has always written penetrating, logical, and reasoned
I'll bet Obama is quaking in his boots...not: John McCain said Tuesday that Barack Obama is “probably ensured” that his association with 1960s radical William Ayers will come up in Wednesday’s debate.
This will surprise no one - which is why it is an absolute travesty: Numbers tell all: 61 percent of the stories that appeared on the networks  between Aug. 23 and Sept. 30 were positive toward the De
Can you get "a little" pregnant? Then how can a bank be "partially" nationalized? The U.S. government is dramatically escalating its response to the financial crisis by planning to invest $250 billion
Jesse Jackson thinks he knows what Obama has in mind, and he recently told the first World Policy Forum in Europe about it. Amir Taheri of the New York Post has the story, cleverly titled "The O Jesse
First it was Congressman John Lewis propping up the moldy corpse of George Wallace in order to deliver what has to be considered one of the most scurrilous and unprincipled attacks on a presidential c
Stanley Kurtz's examination of the archives of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge provides us evidence of the sort of educational policies Barack Obama funded when handing out scores of millions of dolla
John Kass wrote a priceless column the other day describing how the Daley Machine currently functions by co-opting the likes of Obama ally (and former SDS security chief during the "Days of Rage") Mar
Mac Fuller writes:My thoughts on the nine issues discussed in the debate that just concluded. 1.  McCain won.  Economy & Joe the ubiquitously omnipresent plumber.2.  McCain won,... but Obama was very
Our Thinkers have their say tonight on the debate.Lee Cary:I'll (Lee Cary) will comment when Mccain scores or misses a chance to do so.  Otherwise, I'll follow Mark Twain's advice and not miss an oppo
The Obama Campaign has released its talking points for tonight’s debate. You can find them on DRUDGE. The ten points blend misdirection, obfuscation and fuzzy math. Here’s a look at five of the talkin
This is really incredible. It stunned Ben Smith over at Politico where I got these quotes. It floored a GOP consultant who conducted the focus group where the people were quoted.And it is perhaps the
When it rains, it pours:  A growing al Qaida-backed insurgency, combined with the Pakistani army's  reluctance to launch an all-out crackdown, political infighting and energy and  food shortages are p
The New York Times tries to whitewash Democratic responsibility for the housing disaster in today's editorial "Misplaced Blame" by holding that the Community Reinvestment Act is blameless for the prob
An unfortunate coincidence for Tom Friedman, the New York Times columnist who married the daughter of a billionaire real estate developer. In his NYT column he pontificates on the perils of financing
Legitimate concerns about the policies and character of Barack Obama are being caricatured as examples of persecution via "guilt by association" - a phrase popularized by anti-anti-communists in the 1
Few things in life surprise me at my age. Perhaps a win by the Chicago Cubs in the World Series would get a mild eyebrow raise but beyond that, not much.Until I read this piece  in the Boston Globe. T
The man who wrote the book "What's the Matter with Kansas" has one of the most nauseating defenses of Bill Ayers I've ever read in the Wall Steet Journal today.Frank, who lived in the same Hyde Park n
John McCain still has a real chance to be elected POTUS.  Even with the CBS/NYT latest poll preposterously proclaiming a 13% lead for Obama, John McCain can still end up the hero of this prolonged pas
An agreement on the status of forces (SOF) in Iraq has been reached in draft form between the US and Iraqi governments:The draft calls for U.S. troops to pull out of Iraqi cities by the end of June ne
CBS Channel 2 TV in Chicago has reported on the Obama Campaign's plans to host a huge victory party in Chicago's Grant Park on election-day evening. This could be a problem.Jay Levine reports:"It's no
Yesterday, we covered  the op-ed in the Wall Street Journal  that praised William Ayers by liberal author Thomas Frank. Frank referred to the former terrorist as "kind," and "humble."City Journal edit
Well, isn't this a surprise: Representative John P. Murtha (D-PA) apologized for labeling his fellow Pennsylvanians--just the western ones of course--racists.  But, no surprise, then he called them ra
The almost non-partisan FactCheck.org looked at Obama's and Joe's claims about taxes and reached some reasonable but incomplete conclusions:At their encounter, Wurzelbacher told Obama that "I'm gettin
When a politician says they're going to raise your taxes, what they really mean is they're going to raise tax rates. Lost on the minds of Democrats and Barack Obama is the fact that an increase in fed
It was a revealing comment by Obama made last weekend during a stop in Ohio. An American citizen confronted him about his plan to raise taxes and rather than the smooth talking, practiced response we'
I awoke this morning to a bad dream and walked around in a stupor for a few minutes, feeling very depressed. It wasn't until I had finished making coffee that I suddenly realized that it wasn't yet No
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has the new Republican ad that puts John McCain 4-square behind conservative economic principles.  This is the key part:Telling us paying higher taxes is "patriotic"?And saying
Over the last fortnight, the Democrats, the Obama campaign, media, and bloggers have all railed against John McCain for "allowing" crowds at his rally to get out of control and espouse hateful sentime
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifrer Brunner and ACORN have been handed a stunning victory by the US Supreme Court.Even though there are 200,000 registrations that Ohio officials can't say are genuine, t
Last night, Barack Obama mentioned retired marine General Jim Jones as someone who, along with Joe Biden and Dick Lugar, he would tap to help him figure out his foreign policy. He said, "those are the
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, you did us all a great service. You spoke to power, you questioned your leaders, and in the finest traditions of a democracy you stood up and put it to ‘em.Because of this
The New York Times has a predictable editorial in this morning's edition. According to NYT, Acorn is nothing but the voter registration branch of the Salvation Army. And John McCain is doing his damnd
Recall all the braying from Europe regarding America's failure to ratify the Kyoto Accord? Bill Clinton signed it but refused to send the treaty for ratification to the Senate, knowing that it would b
Fresh from calling his western Pennsylvania constituents racists and issuing a stuttering non-apology, Representative John Murtha (D-PA) cancelled a debate with his Republican opponent, retired Army L
No time to do the people's business when partisan politics calls  . This is the mantra of Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman who uses the committee he heads - the House Committee on Oversight and Gov
The Daily Press of Hampton Roads, VA reveals a fascinating contrast between the Obama and McCain campaigns - one costs the host city money, while the other doesn't. Sabine Hirschauer reports:Two weeks
Well, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration. Actually, Obama is all set to finger carbon dioxide as a "dangerous" pollutant:From Bloomberg: Barack Obama will classify carbon dioxide as a dangerous poll
The Associated Press (AP) is being dumped by the Tribune Company.  According to Editor&Publisher (link repaired), The Tribune Company has given a two-year, pink-slip notice to the AP.  The announced r
It's no longer an issue about Obama's tax plan and its effect on a foolish "Average Joe" afflicted with the American Dream disease.  Nope, the issue is the credibility of the one asking The One an unc
It is nothing short of stunning this election year to read and listen to some of our most noted national conservatives demonstrate no practical understanding of conservative America.  It would serve P
A fascinating discussion on the internets today about conservatism. It dovetails nicely with J.R. Dunn's great blog post in American Thinker where JR talks about conservative elites and how out of tou
The current Presidential election is the first one in which two non-incumbents face each other under the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform law, technically known as the Bipartisan Campaign Refor
Thugocracy describes what's been happening to an average, 35-year old American citizen named Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, who lives in Holland, Ohio. The media labeled him "Joe the Plumber." He's becom
Charles Calomiris of the Wall Street Journal has written a brilliant piece on the financial crisis that punches so many holes in the Obama-Democrat mantra that "deregulation" caused the meltdown that
This move by Obama is pure Chicago politics; when confronted with accusations of wrong doing, throw up as much smoke as possible in order to deflect attention.This "I am shocked - shocked I tell you!
An oxymoron to be sure. But since either a McCain or Obama presidency will no doubt continue the diplomacy track on Iran for the foreseeable future (unless something startling occurs) the election of
Rebuffed by the Supreme Court due to their lack of standing under the Help America Vote law, Republicans have now filed another lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in order to sto
At last we've got a reasonable, intelligent, and well thought-out consideration of Sarah Palin from the environs of E.35th St. and uptown.Kathryn Jean Lopez has, in a few hundred words posted on Frida
As an indepent (sic), I am appauled (sic) what you truly represent.  I used to think the democrats were the real enemy, but I finally woke up to reality.  You are the worse of the 2 evils, period!You
Today on NBC’s Meet the Press, Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama and walked off his long patrol with the political party that made his career. LBJ said it was OK to piss from inside the tent facing o
Susan Schmidt of the Wall Street Journal has discovered a disconcerting coincidence: Senator Chuck Schumer took a highly unusual step of publicly criticizing a bank, sparking a run on it, just as big
Although Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama is no surprise, it does have some impact on the election.  Now it’s Lieberman’s turn to match that impact.Senator Lieberman has been, as we know, an
The idea that anything Colin Powell says is taken seriously is a stretch. The fact that he has - to the surprise of no one - endorsed Barack Obama for president only makes his political impotence comp
Jim Hoft  quotes the blog Verum Serum who appears to have fleshed out a new connection between Obama and Ayers - they shared office space in the same office building on the same floor for years.Bill A
I will offer an opinion that the reason this kind of voter registration fraud in Lake County, IL is so worrisome is because the registrations weren't gathered by homeless people getting paid per regis
"Change and Hope" translated means "I am changing the fundraising game forever," and "I sure hope all these donations are legal."From CNN:Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday the Democratic presid
Senator Obama has leaked names of potential Cabinet picks to the Times of London. Among the revelations: Senator Chuck Hagel has been "tipped as defence secretary". This would be seen as reaching acro
Some high school students in Libertyville, IL, a suburb of Chicago, could teach the east and west coast  sophisticated elitists who mock Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for knowingl
When he was a state senator Barack Obama voted three times against the Illinois Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (IBAIPA). He has claimed over and over again that the reason he voted against IBAIPA w
There have been plenty of Republicans — the latest being Peggy Noonan — who are saying that McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as a running-mate has been a bust. They say Palin doesn’t possess the tools f
Secrecy News has an update on the interminable and meritless case against two former AIPAC officials:...in an August 20 response (pdf) that was redacted and unsealed last week, the defense not only de
Not only is ACORN (closely linked in its formation and support with SEIU -- Service Employees Union International) exploiting us by its outrageous practices abetting vote fraud and mortgage  manipulat
From the man who called Barack Obama "clean and articulate."From the man who spelled out that famous 3 letter word: "J-O-B-S."From the man who thinks Article I of the Constitution deals with the power
Just this weekend American Thinker published Lord Monckton's massive plea to John McCain that urged the Republican candidate to rethink his position on global warming. Today, the Wall Street Journal r
This is something of a complex story so bear with me.When Obama purchased his house, the back and side yards were sold as a separate piece of land - ostensibly at the request of the seller but it may
Has anybody noticed that the "Eleventh Commandment" has dropped out of public discourse in recent months?The Eleventh Commandment, credited to none other than Ronald Reagan, goes like this: "Thou shal
Well, if WaPo says that capitalism isn't dead, it must be true, right?Actually, this editorial  gets it right - mostly:IS THIS the end of American capitalism? As financial panic  spread across the glo
A poll counts heads. One way of doing that is to call people up and ask them about their political views. Another way is to see who shows up at rallies. Interesting data from New Mexico over the weeke
We at American Thinker have covered  the attempt  by Democrats  to reinstitute the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" which would virtually shut down conservative talk radio and perhaps even sites like thi
Speaking as accurately as he did about President Franklin D. Roosevelt going on television to reassure Americans after the stock market crash of 1929, Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Jose
In a clear sign of desperation, the Obama campaign has called a halt to all debates before Jewish groups with representatives of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The Jewish Journal reports:Barack Obam
Listen to what Obama himself is saying: Colin Powell will have a role as a top presidential adviser in an Obama administration, the Democratic White House hopeful said Monday."He will have a role as o
The mainstream media has been nagging Sarah Palin to apologize for stating that people in North Carolina are patriotic. But they have said little about Democrat Congressman John Murtha calling the peo
Pay to play, that is being required to pony up a campaign contribution in order to get access to political power, has been the Chicago way of politics for decades.  Some in the media are now unhappy t
Last Sunday, when Joe Biden predicted that a President Obama would soon be tested by one of our enemies he displayed dated crisis management notions.Here's what Joe said,"Mark my words," the Democrati
Not that this is going to get any play beyond a few conservative sites but it is still a devastating indictment of Obama's tax plan.William McGurn in the Wall Street Journal: Now we know: 95% of Ameri
The "Corrections" column of the New York Times today contains an extraordinary admission that one of its writers deliberately misrepresented a study and misquoted a source:An article in the Itinerarie
Two weeks before the election and the Democratic candidate for Vice President has no public events scheduled. None. Zero. Zilch.It couldn't be because of what Biden said on Sunday in Seattle about Oba
John Kerry was once a candidate for president. He was also once a soldier. He may also have once been a human being, but this  calls that idea into doubt: "These are the exciting last two week moments
Every breaking story about the economy is just chock full of bad news.  Or should I say bad speculations?  When it comes to real data, the bad news would rather play hide and seek.The last quarter we
I’m voting Democrat because like most Americans I trust lawyers more than anyone else; I think only lawyers should run the government, and all the Democrat Leaders are lawyers: Barack Obama, Michelle
No doubt that the New York Times is hopeful that this line of attack against John McCain will have better results than their efforts to smear him by knowingly printing false information about an allge
The author of the famous "Lexington" column in The Economist has some interesting advice for John McCain. Read the whole thing, but here are some key points:Instead of Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright and
Bruce Heiden, professor of Greek and Latin at The Ohio State University, makes the fascinating claim in his website "The Postliberal" that Barack Obama agrees with my assertion that he did not actuall
I think some people are going to riot even if Obama wins.After all, they're basing the decision to deploy additional police on what happens after a team wins a sports championship. So even if Obama we
An editorial columnist for the Kansas City Star shows us what would likely become the default defense against criticism leveled at a President Obama's administration. It'll be about racism.The Drudge
The invaluable Andrew McCarthy takes note of a connection between Barack Obama and Edward Said, an apologist for terrorism, who played a key role in changing the field of Middle East Studies towards a
Faced with a number of investigations and countless reports of wrongdoing as well as a suit by the Buckeye Institute of Ohio, an ACORN lawyer's report critical of the organization's operations somehow
Who says journalists don't investigate any more?  The AP is getting to the bottom of Sarah Palin's children traveling with her on state business.  No news yet on Barack Obama's dealings with Rezko or
John McCain's campaign, trailing in several key states with less than two weeks to go, has decided to cut back on ad buys in states where he is falling further behind in order to concentrate his resou
Gabriel Schoenfeld of Commentary Magazine (who also writes, at times, for the Wall Street Journal) has a superb article in today's New York Post regarding Barack Obama and his relationship with the Je
Don't believe me? So has "John Galt," and "Nodda Realperson." Today, the Republican National Committee filed another complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging massive fraud and lawbreaki
John McCain must have realized he was creeping up in the polls again, because he's quickly putting a stop to that.  The last time he was flying high in the polls (because he selected Sarah), he voted
The death spiral accelerates, as NYTCo earnings fell by 51.4% in the third quarter. As AT predicted would happen after it was raised, the company now recognizes it is unable to sustain its dividend. T
In Who is John Galt Scott Johnson at Powerline quotes from a reader e-mail he received.  The man made a credit card donation to Barak Obama under the name John Galt with the address of 1957 Ayn Rand L
That was the plan of the Weather Underground after taking power. The same Weather Underground headed by Barack Obama's friends William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, the people in whose house he launched
Liberal blogs and websites were falling all over themselves yesterday, breathlessly and gleefully reporting that an al-Qaeda sympathetic website had come out and "endorsed" John McCain for president.T
A.J. Strata  of the Stratosphere has been reporting on this story for months. Evidently, some of the Tribes in Pakistan started their own Iraqi-style "Awakening" by going after al-Qaeda in the NWFP. N
If Fox News tried something similar, they would be rightly roasted for showing  an unbelievable bias.But this is MSNBC - the network that, according to  its president Phil Griffin, doesn't have a libe
The invaluable Zombietime blog has published excerpts from the 1974 short book/long pamphlet entitled Prairie Fire, published by the Weather Underground while they were in hiding as fugitives. I remem
Today is the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, A huge truck bomb detonated outside of the building housing our Marines located near the Beirut Airport and leveled the s
Politico reports that the good news for John McCain is that he's now receiving as much attention from the national media as his Democratic rival. The bad news is that it's all negative.Just 14 percent
Do you need a really good excuse for avoiding paying taxes April 15--or anytime?  Well, do I have one for you.Charles O'Byrne, key aide to Governor Paterson, owes more than $300,000 in back taxes from
The Hill.com introduced what could become a key media motif in the week before the election: If you vote against Obama, you could cause a riot.At least in modern American history, this will be the fir
Barack Obama today received the blessing from one of the more important nutcases i n the Iranian government.Via Powerline: Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Wednesday that Iran would prefer
Well, you can't say they didn't warn us ahead of time:  Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Democrats will push for a stimulus package  after the November election, and called for a package reducing defe
Well, is it that hard to believe in this day and age that a major American newspaper offers up an op-ed filled with praise for Iran? This would be today's Boston Globe in an op-ed written by Lawrence
The Republican Party has decided to not help re-elect a 100% American Conservative Union Congresswoman. She committed the mortal sin of saying, when Chris Matthews put the words in her mouth, that Oba
We have written about Barack Obama's Middle East adviser Daniel Kurtzer before. We had qualms regarding his perspective on the Middle East process, given his record and after having read a book he wro
Did Joe Biden alert us to an impending international crisis, or did we just dream that? After Biden repeated his warning the second time in Seattle on October 20, he disappeared into a rabbit hole. Di
"Garbage-in, garbage-out" finds a new meaning, as the decline of its journalistic practice is now matched by the New York Times Company's financial status.We at American Thinker, particularly our publ
So now the Times has to own up to the fact that its dismissive attitude towards criticism of ACORN was wrong.Why does The Times refer to a "Group"; by now, its readers are surely familiar with the "gr
As Rosslyn Smith noted , the protests by those in the media that they really are objective and are just there to report the facts so please, please don't shoot the messenger if the results are not to
Gateway Pundit avers that Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times confirmed to him in a telephone call that his newspaper has a videotape of Barack Obama at an event with Rashid Khalidi at which Israe
There's a good reason why the normally left Minnesota paper endorses the Republican senatorial incumbent. Editorial: Norm Coleman for SenateCount this newspaper among the Minnesota voices that long fo
From the RNC's "Audacity Watch" comes the news that John Podesta, in charge of the Obama transition team, already has an inaugural address for the candidate written up: "Mr. Podesta has been mapping
Malkin calls it "The best Biden interview ever."  WFTV Channel 9's Barbara West puts increasingly erratic, super-gaffetastic  Joe Biden on the hot seat over ACORN, voter fraud, and Barack Obama's "Spr
Lots of Republicans have been in the news recently because of their stated intention to abandon their party and vote for Obama.Colin Powell has been the most important of these. But recently, Ken Adel
Stopping at nothing to slime an ordinary citizen who only asked a question of Obama, some media outlets apparently used information available only from government computers - private, protected inform
The International Crisis Group (ICG) is a George  Soros controlled "think-tank"   that gave him a Founders Award. He is on the board as are Samantha Power and Zbigniew Brzezinski. We have wrtten about
A serious sickness infects a part of the American left, which seems to gain satisfaction from violent fantasies about its opponents. A film about the future assassination of President Bush, along with
The Newark Star-Ledger reportedly plans to reduce its newsroom staff by half, according to the Associated Press.  The editor is quoted as saying that 151 out of 335 editorial employees have so far acc
No one in America has catalogued Barack Obama's connections to far left radicals like Stanley Kurtz of the National Review. Today, Kurtz looks at an article written by Obama sycophant Ben Smith of Pol
Susanna Chung Forest, the designer of Hillary Clinton's pantsuits, has inadvertently solved the mystery of why Democrats are mocking  Republicans for  spending $150,000 on clothing and accessories for
If this report  is true (and the story is actually an old one ), then one might assume that taken in tandem with the President's actions during the financial crisis, that he has abandoned any pretense
We at American Thinker have covered the first shots in the conflict between traditional conservatives and what many are referring to as conservative "elites." Just this week, we've featured several ex
Your assignment today is to read this brilliant article by Mark Levin writing at The Corner regarding the American people and the election. "The Obama Temptation:A small sample: But beyond the elites
The tragedy of the double murder of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother in Chicago, plus the abduction of her young nephew, is highlighted  on the Drudge ReportUPDATE: Jennifer Hudson's
It was the Federal Reserves' 1998 bailout of long-term capital investments that served to inflate the dot-com market. The 1998 bailout ultimately led to the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and to the fol
Using tactics that would get any maker of sugary cereal in trouble, the Obama campaign shamelessly targets immature minds, and incites them to manipulate their elders into voting for Obama.  Dr. Sloga
Josh Gerstein, formerly with the NY Sun , has a new blog, and begins with an interesting update on the AIPAC case. Here's a taste:...former four-star U.S. Army general, Anthony Zinni, and an arms-lade
We have written about Ohio state representative Josh Mandel before at American Thinker  He is a young GOP "star" who also served two tours of duty in Iraq as a US marine. Now his service (and possibly
Arthur Laffer, one of the prime thinkers behind supply side economics, bemoans the current financial crisis and has a warning for the future: "Whenever people make decisions when they are panicked, th
It has been said that the Democrats benefit from economic hard times.  The financial markets offer up enough chaos to keep a 24/7 news cycle dripping with despair, but at the pump, many Americans may
All I can say is "Wow."If McCain had known of this tape a few weeks ago, the chance to hammer Obama into submission would have been possible. Now, with just 8 days to election, he must work fast to ex
Did well connected Democrats conspire with Haitian dictator Aristide to rip off Haiti? Mary Anastasia O'Grady has an intriguing report in the Wall Street Journal:It took eight years, but on Oct. 8 I f
If recent trends continue Hollywood may be looking for a government handout. A surge of liberal style patriotism has gripped the movers and shakers in Hollywood, they have produced movie after movie c
There's been quite a bit of discussion of the so-called Bradley Effect, a political phenomenon where voters tells pollsters that they plan on voting for a Black candidate.  Then, in the privacy of the
The left has been all over Bush for ordering the Syrian strike last weekend, believing it nothing more than a ploy to boost McCain's chances.But there was apparently a very good reason for hitting tha
Reason #150,672 to vote against Obama: The chances are very good that he will be able to appoint  liberal judges not just to the Supreme Court, but he could bring a leftist majority to almost every fe
It looks as if some of the messiah's Euro-buddies aren't all that impressed with The One's foreign policy.From Ha'aretz: French President Nicolas Sarkozy is very critical of U.S.  presidential candida
So far as I can tell, no one has ever figured out how to simultaneously grow an economy and reduce the gap between rich and poor. When economies grow, the poor get richer and the rich get richer, but
Politico reports that the Senate might play a game of musical chairmanships should Barack Obama become President. Among the changes that may occur would be the elevation of John Kerry to the position
It's right on Amazon -- the new book by Weatherman bomb throwers Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, who sponsored Barack Obama's political coming-out party in Chicago leftwing politics. And no, it's not
According to Rasmussen, half of all voters believe that the William Ayers issue has harmed the campaign… the McCain campaign. Many Republicans are asking McCain to strike harder at Obama’s past associ
Tough questions mean no further access. Only lapdogs get acces.This time it is close to home: KYW TV, channel 3 in Philadelphia,  a station serving Wilmington, DE, to which Biden famously commutes to
Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, locked in a tight re-election race, was convicted of 7 counts of making false statements to the FBI regarding the non payment of improvements on his house. "I will fight th
The Presidential race is getting tighter. The most respected daily tracking poll (most heavily weighted by Nate Silver at his fivethrtyeight.com site) is Rasmussen. Today, his 3 day, 3,000 sample size
They're calling it a "min-jirga" - the tribal term for legislature, or assembly, or a meeting of elders - and it could either be the start of peace negotiations are an invitation to disaster.Both nati
Our friend Kevin Sullivan over at RealClear World sent us an interview he conducted  with best selling author ("See No Evil") and former intelligence agent Robert Baer. What he had to say about Iran w
Possibly the reason Mohamed ElBaradei and the UN agency he heads, the "watchdog" International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recently won the Nobel Peace Prize was  because they all think that "peacefu
Michael Barone has written a little primer on what an Obama Administration might do when it initiates a new "New Deal" that will spread the wealth around.Barone points out correctly that the original
Will Americans really elect a president at such a perilous time, who seems to be clueless about foreign affairs, especially with regard to Israel and the Middle East?  Barack Obama has made so many co
The illegal credit card fund raising scams being run by Obama's website is finally getting a smidgen of attention from the MSM.The Washington Post: Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is allowin
The Obama-Biden  definition of those greedy people who have the audacity to earn so much that they must be taxed is rapidly shifting downward.  Barack Obama initially promised he would tax the upper 5
For a frightening preview of the consequences of questioning Barack Obama consider the case of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber.  While the ACLU, shrieking right to privacy, chastises t
There is a person very close to me who I thought would vote for Barack Obama.  She votes in Missouri, a state that is important in this election.  She once asked, "What's so bad about communism?"  She
In the long term, the damage done by an Obama administration and a Democrat controlled congress would not be economic. It will be constitutional damage, judicial damage, moral damage.America faces a f
For months, many in the media have been insinuating that if whites do not vote for Barack Obama, or if Obama loses, it must be because white Americans are racist. In 2004, 62 million Americans voted f
There isn't a redder state in America than Idaho. All of the major elected officials in the state are Republicans. Republicans control both legislative houses. That hasn't stopped the Democrats from b
Joe Wurzelbacher will help carry McCain to the Presidency, just as Mr. Gail S. Halvorsen, nicknamed Hal, helped carry President Truman to his successful 1948 reelection.Mr. Halvorsen was the original
Barack Obama's long time friendship with ex-PLO mouthpiece Rashid Khalidi is finally hitting the media and causing some people to ask questions.Obama and Khalidi go back to their days at the Universit
This is not good news for the economy, the country, or the candidacy of John McCain :Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the Unite
Helen-Jones Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services,  confirmed  that her department's computer search of Joe the Plumber's, aka Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, private  records
J. Michael Waller of the Center for Security Policy reports on another constituency for Obama:A group of lawyers suing the United States to extend constitutional rights to enemy combatants detained in
Testifying in a suit brought by the Republican party of Ohio, former ACORN worker Anita MonCreif gave shocking testimony both to the incompetene of ACORN and its close ties to the Obama campaign:The F
Okay, here's my prediction: I have believed all throughout this campaign, and still do, that if Barack Obama goes into the final weekend leading by less than 5%, he's finished. According to this week'
House Democrats have once again slipped up by allowing us a glimpse of the brave new world of Obamanomics and complete Democratic control of Congress.Here is how James Pethokoukis writing for US News
The following comes to us from a GOP campaign worker in a heavily-contested battleground state. I know this person well, and trust him or her. The campaign worker wrote me: "This is an amusing documen
Back in the USSR, they sent dissidents to psychiatric confinement; in ultra-blue Marin County, they suspend them from school and send them for "psychological evaluation."According to the Marin Indepen
The Obama campaign has booted three right-leaning newspapers off their plane. All three endorsed John McCain for president.Welcome to Obama's American, gents: From Drudge: The Obama campaign has decid
Even when making more than $250,000, he gave away less than 1 percent to charity until he became a millionaire.Thinking about Barack Obama's impromptu lecture to Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher about h
The latest whitewash of members of the ring of rogues around Barack Obama is delivered by the New York Times this morning. Barack Obama has had a long-time friendship with Rashid Khalidi, who taught a
If we heard it once from Obama we heard it a thousand times; no tax increase for those who make less than $250,000, right?Um ... not so fast. John Podheretz of Contentions: Last week, John McCain made
Dear Mr. Dunn:Although we've never met, I must confess to a secret love affair with your writing.  Not only do I adore the seductive, boyish mischievousness of your way with words, I occasionally am t
While her nephew occupies a million dollar house and reported income of more than $4 million last year, Obama's Aunt Zeituni Onyango lives in public housing in Boston, hiding out from immigration auth
While they were fugitives from justice, Sen. Barack Obama's friend, associate, and political mentor William Ayers and three of his radical Weather Underground co-conspirators, including his wife Berna
The marvelous writer whose work appears under his pen name Theodore Dalrymple has long argued that in statist regimes like that in the UK local authorities do little to prevent or punish real crime bu
Indiana's Marion County is where the Obama campaign has been sending ACORN/SEIU thug activists for the past ten months to create the illusion on Election Day that he is "unstoppable". It's only a thre
Pew Research has come out with a study on media coverage of the election and not surprisingly, it reveals that John McCain has received an unbelievable  amount of negative coverage: The media coverage
Obama's campaign and persona bear a striking resemblance to a recent Republican President: Richard Milhouse "Tricky Dick" Nixon.There are a few minor differences among the remarkable similarities:  wh
Despite promises of transparency and openness, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has deliberately been opaque about his past and beliefs, carefully crafting his own story in his autobiograp
Having been caught red-handed invading without warrant the privacy of Joe the Plumber, Ohio's Helen Jones-Kelly, an Obama contributor, lied about why she ordered the search and her staff is not backin
Three excellent writers for the New York Post have columns today taking a unique look at America under Obama. They have penned their pieces from the perspective of having lived through the first term
Yesterday,  we covered the story of Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango being in the country illegally and donating (also illegally) to Obama's presidential campaign. That information apparently came from so
Two days ago American Thinker reported that Idaho Democrats had illegally distributed the Social Security numbers of conservative Republican Congressman Bill Sali, and his wife Terry, in campaign lite
Mark Steyn is one of freedom's treasures. Funny, provocative, fearless, and with a pitch perfect sense of what matters to the reader, Steyn's latest is a real gem of a column.He riffs off of a story o
Change we can freeze to death by:   Let me sort of describe my overall policy.  What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is  as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you elect me president I, Barack Hussein Obama promise that the middle class will receive a tax cut and only those that have the audacity to earn over $250,000 will see a tax
During a Thursday stump speech in Sarasota, Fl, Obama suggested that people wanting to keep their hard-earned money rather than hand it over to the taxman are "selfish."After explaining how changing "
Whether he wins or loses, all signs point to the fact is Barack Obama will receive the majority of the Jewish vote in the presidential elections. But even a few percentage point shift in the Jewish vo
For your records,and so you can follow along, during the pre-tally hours I will post useful guides. This is a map of the U.S. with poll closing times marked.   I will be at NPR headquarters Tuesday ni
Here's a dash of reality amidst the election madness.  Osama Bin Laden's media spokesman has been convicted of "conspiring with al Qaeda, soliciting murder and providing material support for  terroris
For a man about to lose there's still talk about winning. If Obama's victory was in the bag, why this?If McCain wins, he'll be tested by CongressBY TODD SPANGLER FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER November 3, 20
Barack Obama's spectacle in Berlin this past summer in the shadow of the destroyed Berlin Wall where he announced  how he is the change the world has waited for followed by his Grecian column acceptan
If you are a McCain supporter and think this election is over and that the Messiah will be our next president ... check out these YouTube numbers: Iraqi War vet Joe Cook's self-produced video supporti
The website Obama Shrugged has a good concise guide to the unprecedented fundraising practices of the Obama campaign, leaving the door wide open for fraudulent and illegal contributions. A sample:On O
McCain backers can take some hope from the fact that some polls have been moving in his direction at the national and state level.Others, not so much.There is so much polling going  on (an average of
In a bit of self puffery--justified in this instance--the British media, the Times Online, uncovered the story of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's aunt illegally still living in the US
Ohio’s Secretary of State Brunner efforts to help Barack Obama win her state have been well documented at American Thinker and elsewhere. What has escaped media attention until now is the important ro
After burnishing the reputation of Khalid Rashidi and dismissing concerns about the ties between Barack Obama and Khalidi (well, because Ross knows Khalidi, too: but does he give encomiums to him at p
Clarice Feldman is spending the night at NPR headquarters, one of several nprbloggers.  Stay tuned for her coverage of the election returns.I will be heading off to the NPR headquarters soon, but want
Last week I talked with an aunt who has been a stalwart Democrat and has even held public office. She told me that she had voted early, had to hold her breath, but voted for McCain. The granddaughter
Big problems - as usual - in Philadelphia where the Democratic machine is throwing Republican poll watchers out of precincts and carrying on generally as the thugs we expect them to be: GOP Election B
Never underestimate the perfidy of the media when it comes to trampling decency and promoting their candidate at all costs: At least one broadcast network and one Web site said Monday that they could
McCain supporters can take heart. It appears from Ben Smith's vantage point as a national political blogger, that there has been an unprecedented outpouring of voters in both Democratic and Republican
Although I'm sure this warning is unnecessary for most of you, there still might be some who will see the "leaked" partial exit polls this afternoon and actually believe them.Rasmussen warns  "pay the
P-s-s-t.  Hey, investigative reporters, do I have a scoop for you; it's about Governor Sarah Palin (R-Alaska).  I knew you'd be interested.  A new report just released -- hours before the polls open o
If, as predicted, the Democratic Obama-Biden ticket wins, all those late night comedians haunting the late evening hours will have to dig a little deeper for laughter because Senator Joseph Biden (DE)
A few months back I postulated that a McCain landslide was in the making.  I went on a few radio shows to talk it up and explain my wisdom.  Up until last night at about 10:00 Eastern, I still believe
Newsweek is reporting that both the Obama and McCain campaign computer systems came under assault from a foreign entity: The computer systems of both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims of a s
There is a popular phrase, used sarcastically with people who publicly congratulate themselves, that "your arm must hurt from patting yourself on the back."  Well, today my leg hurts from kicking myse
It would seem illogical to quibble about words at this point but a good case can be made that the vote yesterday was perhaps not quite the Democratic victory achieved by other presidents.John Hinderak
The polls were dead on, or at least the good ones  (e.g Rasmussen , Battleground and IBD/TIPP). Gallup, Pew  and CBS/New York Times pollsters can now leave the room.  McCain lost by 6%, after leading
I cannot watch television as the world is turned upside down in a religious frenzy over the new "Messiah." On banners, signs, tee shirts, and pins are the single word slogans of "Hope" and "Change." 
I suppose it could have been worse. On second thought, maybe not:  Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton administration aide, has accepted  the position of President-elect Obama's chief of staf
It was actually his puppet Dmitri Medvedev who made the announcement. But everyone could see Putin's mouth moving as he pulled the strings: President Medvedev ordered missiles to be stationed up again
Too bad he and Boehner didn't do the right thing after the 2006 Republican humiliation: Blunt will be the second senior Republican not seeking another term in  leadership after Adam Putnam of Florida
If Barack Obama is going to succeed, he will have to find a way to resist the far left radicals in the Democratic Congress.This piece in the Wall Street Journal  is both instructive - and a warning:Mr
Nibras Kazimi   of the Hudson Institute writes an intriguing column today predicting that the Middle East will come to hate Obama.  I fear that the Middle East is engrossed in the darker subplots of t
Oops! It looks like expectations are already being dashed by the president-elect. According to WTHR TV in Indianapolis: Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for can
Karl Rove's analysis of the election in today's Wall Street Journal needs to be read by every GOP operative and every candidate dreaming of 2012.Not only does Rove give an overview of Obama's advantag
I’ve changed my position on drilling in Alaska because I’ve come to the conclusion that it might disturb or displace the scapegoats who inhabit the area.On October 19th, a piece I wrote entitled “Sara
Uh oh.  It seems Michelle Obama Herself may have slightly flawed the  otherwise perfect Election Night Rapture.  Apparently the red and black not-yet-available-to-those-earning under $200,000 or $150,
Dear Democrats:Congratulations on your victory. As a conservative I am disappointed with the outcome of the election however, unlike Democrats over the past 8 years, I will not relentlessly continue t
How does the Republican Party pick its candidates? Settle back my dear friends, I'll tell you a true story.Once open a time, three Republicans were finalists for a judgeship in a rural area of a rural
This was the first election in which I was permitted to vote.  I have been in the States for 7 years, and this year I became a proud American citizen.  My country of origin was the United Kingdom, so
Just about the time that housing loan giant Freddie Mac began to dole out money to people whose prospects of paying it back were about as good as hitting "21" in Blackjack, newly minted White House ch
One of the questions that is being asked following Barack Obama's election as President of the United States is, What does this mean for the role of race in American society?  Does Obama's election pr
It is a fine thing indeed when Chris Matthews (and no doubt his entire, wretchedly biased network) telegraphs just how he is going to cover the Obama Administration.Not content to being in the tank fo
P--s-s-t!  Want a job in the new presidential administration?     Or perhaps you believe   The story of the campaign and this historic moment has been your  story. It is about the great things we can
There are many who feel that John McCain's straight talk express rambled  and meandered in the latter part of his president seeking journey, derailing  shortly after the surprising nomination of Alask
A couple of friends emailed or called me about Obama's first press conference as president-elect. They went on and on about his stumbling and inept responses. (I didn't see the press conference -- jus
Some good advice that probably won't be followed from James G. Wiles about what the Republicans in Washington should do in the waning days of the Bush Administration.   And now, a thought experiment:
John McCormack of the Weekly Standard exposes an unbelievably stupid smear from Newsweek, a publication which seems to have no standards left at all. Apparently, anything that makes Sarah Palin look s
A fairly obscure local race in Arizona may have national implications. One of our Arizona Corporation Commission Republican candidates has apparently won his tight race against a hugely funded Democra
Be careful what you wish for. Lieberman is very liberal on social policy, likes Big Labor, and would be unreliable on judges.But McConnell is reaching out to him nonetheless: Minority Leader Mitch McC
It's a good thing for Chicago that so many tourists want to visit Barack Obama's hometown! Here is a perspective from one of his "homeys" "Total employment in metropolitan Chicago grew moderately befo
The self described "Conscience of the Senate" has been shunted to the sidelines by Harry Reid and will lose the powerful Appropriations Committee chair: Mr. Byrd, who will be 91 this month, is a rever
Oh boy. Is this what we have to look forward to for the next 4 years? When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any  ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday, he responded that he had spoke
They say that laughter is the best medicine, and apparently that's what President-Elect Obama plans to use to cure the ailing economy:Gov. Jennifer Granholm and former U.S. Rep. David Bonior will serv
Another Russian nuclear sub has experienced an accident that resulted in casualties. At least 20 people were killed when a fire broke out on the brand new sub reportedly named The Nerpa. The governmen
It is a question that troubles civil liberties advocates - even those who support the Bush Administration's detention policies in general.Does the government have the right to indefinitely hold an Ame
No one is saying that the Democrats are trying to steal the Minnesota senate race between GOP incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic clown Al Franken - yet: The Coleman camp was in court this morning f
Apparently many Americans visited the widely trumpeted change.gov  site, the Obama campaign money shaking site and blueprint for Obama's regime.   What they saw in the America Serves section disturbed
Contributing Editor to the Weekly Standard, P.J. O'Rourke is perhaps the funniest, most insightful political writer of this or any other generation. His books through the years have explored the inani
A well-spoken black liberal from Hyde Park is elected to the highest office. Blacks are rejoicing that one of their own had risen so high and affirmed their chance for the brass ring. Been there, done
Exactly seventy years ago, from November 9-11, 1938, a pogrom against Jews  in Germany and Austria began when Jewish stores and businesses were attacked by  Nazi Stormtroopers, other Nazi party member
A website detailing Obama's agenda, which got a great deal of critical agenda online since Thursday when it was publicly viewable, has quickly been scrubbed reports The Washington Times:Over the weeke
Every time life hits a bump in the road, a progressive falls out of the nearest banana tree and spouts:  "New World Order"UK's Brown: Now is the time to build global society07:03 PM ESTLONDON (Reuters
This is news that should give heart to conservatives if not the entire nation.Ronald Reagan may be dead. His revolution, betrayed. His policies about to be reversed.  But the American people still ide
The D.C. Examiner asks that question of Senator Chuck Schumer today in an editorial on the reinstitution of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine."Apparently, Schumer was asked recently on Fox News whether
The New York Times refers to the potential "awkwardness" of the meeting and that might be an understatement: For nearly two years on the campaign trail, Senator Barack  Obama rarely missed a chance to
Perhaps someone should remind the Democrats that they just ran against Republicans whose policies caused the deficit to skyrocket. Otherwise, they are about to be outed as the most cynical hypocrites
We touched briefly on this issue yesterday  when reporting on the detainee case that may be heard by the Supreme Court. Now we have some interesting information from the Associated Press  that Obama m
The crazed ecstasy that has afflicted Obama's followers here and around the  world is taking a creepy turn with a frightening preview of life in the not so  distant future in the USA.  Apparently Obam
A full-page ad in today's (Tuesday) New York Times (page A17), and perhaps in other newspapers, heralds November 21-23 as a "Week of Twinning." Fifty American and Canadian synagogues and 50 mosques (l
Suppose you were sitting in church one Sunday peacefully minding your own business, praying that God grant our new president the wisdom to do what is right when suddenly, the sanctity of the church is
In their meeting yesterday, Barack Obama asked President Bush to allow the auto industry to tap into the $700 billion kitty passed by Congress to bail out the financial industry.From The New York Time
A blogger has posted an online photo essay titled "52 to 48 with Love" in an effort to bring blue- and red-staters together in a post-election "gesture of reconciliation." The campaign by blogger ZeFr
Oh, the gullibility of our media.We here at AT refused to report the breathless headlines from a few days ago that Sarah Palin did not know Africa was a continent because it seemed not credible to us.
Looks like a win-win situation to me. Gingrich has moderated his image somewhat if not his policy positions. Recently, the former speaker has been advocating working with Democrats and independents to
The Minnesota Senate contest between Norm Coleman and Al  Franken is getting more brutal by the day. Coleman’s lead over Franken is  drifting downward as “corrections’ seem to favor Franken. The Colem
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual actors have demanded the artistic director of California Musical Theatre be fired for donating money to a campaign they did not like, according to an article by Marcus Crowd
In an unfortunately too rare exercise of judicial sanity and restraint, the Supreme Court has dissolved the injunction issued in California preclluding the Navy's sonar training on the ground it might
Dick Morris ran President Clinton's successful 1992 presidential effort and is considered a pretty fair political analyst (although he was convinced that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nomine
Even the Washington Post can't avoid using irony in its lede:   Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich Islamic kingdom that forbids the public practice of  other religious faiths, will preside Wednesday over a tw
Economic relief is at the pump.  Gasoline prices have fallen dramatically.  Some in the MSM just don't like it. You see, lower gas prices are bad:"If prices keep falling, and we all go back to using m
This was inevitable as every single policy expert I've ever read says it is impossible to have "half" a national health insurance plan. It's everybody in or the plan will fail.Obama ran on a platform
Good news for all you Jimmy Carter fans - of which I am sure there are many on this site. You just can't keep a good man down and it appears that the most sanctimonious ex-president in history will be
Will Norm Coleman get a fair shake in his Senatorial recount  battle against Al Franken? Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten  is skeptical, given the fact that Minnesota's Secretary o
While Britain harumphs about Israel's "occupied territories," preparing , once again, to butt its uh, diplomatic noses into another country's--in this case Israel's--security and internal concerns, Mi
Now that the election is over and he has a new edition of a book to peddle, Bill Ayers is comfortable telling the world that Barack Obama is a "family friend." Rex W. Huppke writes in the Chicago Trib
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post made the The Committee to Re-Elect the President, or CREEP, the target of their dogged probe of the corruption of the Nixon White House. They pub
File this one under the "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy" file: The Republican Party will file federal lawsuits Thursday seeking to overthrow  the McCain-Feingold federal campaign finance regulations,
The DC Examiner has a troubling editorial today on a new rule being proposed by Bush's FCC that would represent a threat to the unfettered marketplace of ideas on talk radio while in practice, giving
Rabbis and other leaders in the Jewish community were in the forefront of criticizing "smears" against Barack Obama during the recent campaign. These comments concerned not only his heritage but also
Former American Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton has been predicting North Korea would disavow previous commitments (inspection and verification efforts) made to America and its allies reg
Remember when Obama, played car mechanic - the concerned everyman worrying about paying the high cost of fuel, and green candidate?  Well, that was before the election;  this is now, the week after th
Suddenly a rash of czars is in prospect for the Obama Administration.The title "czar" in the executive branch has some history.  The "drug czar" title  appeared during the Reagan administration.  The
Well, whaddaya know? The very same week that Nature journal revealed that we are all going to die from a Global Ice Age -- pay attention out there, kids, it's not Global Warming after all -- the "expe
Senate leaders have changed history-literally and retroactively. Senators Levin and Dodd inserted language into the Congressional Record to make it appear that the intent of the Bailout Bill was to ai
Was there a deal struck months ago to get the Clintons on board?  Perhaps -- But that's not what makes this a sure thing.Both Obama and Clinton aides have been ducking questions ever since rumors that
If you can give billions to greedy Wall Street speculators, why not billions for down-on-their-luck- homeowners?Officials at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. yesterday detailed a plan to prevent 1.
She's only 14 years old but Catherine Vogt, an 8th Grader at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois is getting a lot of attention for the lesson she has taught everyone - especially libe
The rumors are coming from the Obama camp so this isn't just idle speculation. Having said that, even if she is under "serious consideration" I have to think Obama is hoping that she shoots down this
Senator, President-elect or President, regardless of his Honorable title, I am not going to sugar-coat the anger I feel toward Barack Obama at this moment. The irony of the situation is that my feelin
No, this isn't political news. But it is one of the most significant scientific findings of the age. Two different astronomers have, for the first time, been able to take a picture of alien planets ci
Opponents of gay marriage in California are suffering the effects of a childish tantrum thrown by those who lost on Proposition 8. There have been attacks on Mormons for leading the fight for the ball
Since the attacks of 9/11 there have been many plots that have been thwarted by a combination of excellent intel and dumb luck. There has also been some CYA carried out by officials who have warned pr
Senator Jim DeMint let John McCain and George Bush have it at a gathering of top level Republicans at Myrtle Beach yesterday.The South Carolina conservative spared few words in lambasting the Arizona
There is nothing "temporary" about this attempt to bailout Detroit. This is as close to the permanent nationalization of an industry we have every gotten if Obama gets his way: Top advisers to Preside
A particularly egregious and obvious error seems to have finally outed Al Gore's Merlin, NASA's Dr. James Hansen:... [a] surreal scientific blunder last week raised a huge question mark about the temp
Tom Maguire notices the New York Times is suddenly getting weepy at the thought of where to house the terrorist thugs if Gitmo is closed, and it would appear that there's some movement afoot to get Co
Frank  Rich crassly celebrates the shrinkage and financial problems of conservative political columnist Michael Barone's employer: U.S. News and World Report. I thought journalists welcomed free speec
The choice of Phil Schiliro  , a longtime investigator for  Representative Henry Waxman who will serve in the Obama administration as the head  of the White house legislative affairs office, does not
At the home of the politically correct, liberal  University of California at Berkeley, Israel National News reports  on  how the school reacted when still yet another pro Israel event - this time a hi
The headline at the Los Angeles Times blog  says it all:"Obama Quits Senate after 46 months - 21 of them seeking another job Hmmm, a little math is in order: 46 months in the Senate minus 21 months  f
This is the best rationale I've seen for allowing nature to take its course and allow General Motors to go bankrupt.Michael Levine,  writing in the Wall Street Journal, gives us an object lesson in wh
What makes this piece  by Howard Kurtz so remarkably stupid is that he is supposed to be the media critic for the Washington Post and he never saw this kind of slavish devotion to Obama during the cam
The Big Three Auto Maker bail out, or more to the point, the United Auto Workers bail out, is the first explosive issue for the new Obama Administration. Never mind that his administration has not eve
That was Obama then (June 5, 2008). BRISTOL, Va. -- To rousing applause, Barack Obama formally announced this afternoon that the Democratic National Committee will follow his lead and begin refusing d
The newspaper industry death spiral is becoming obvious even to the top leadership of some of the biggest newspaper publishing companies. Editor & Publisher, the industry's left-leaning trade paper, c
The tide must certainly be turning in favor of rationality and away from the religion of global warming. It's starting to become fashionable to question its tenets. Harry McGee writes in ther Irish Ti
The Houston Chronicle continues an investigative series today describing an immigration system so broken that Federal officials allowed thousands of illegal immigrants held in jail – including violent
Still scratching your head over how voters could elect someone on a first name basis with an unrepentant terrorist?Scratch no more. Via Hot Air  comes a video from John Ziegler that is both hilarious
One of the more disturbing studies I've seen in a while: Nearly half the respondents in a survey of U.S. primary care physicians said that they would seriously consider getting out of the medical busi
There was no more outrageous proposal being advanced by the left these last few years than the idea that American leaders should be tried for "war crimes" as a result of interrogations where torture w
Right after asking the state canvassing board to refuse certification of his loss to Norm Coleman, Al Franken heads to New York City. He travels eastward to raise money for his effort to fund the comi
It's not a done deal yet - apparently there are concerns about some of Billy's more creative billing procedures connected to his globe trotting - but if Obama thinks her confirmation wouldn't be too b
When millions of Americans as well as billions of people world-wide woke up the morning after Barack Obama was elected President, they probably expected the dawn of a new age. Sorry to disappoint all
Kathleen Parker is an intellectual harlot who sells her conservative soul in order to be thought of as "courageous" by both her smart set liberal and conservative friends.She has whined for weeks abou
The longest serving Republican senator in history has gone down to defeat in Alaska. Senator Ted Stevens, champion of pork barrel spending and an arrogant, superannuated relic who should have been kic
I ordinarly don't believe that kicking people out of the Republican party for alleged apostasy on a number of "litmus test" issues is necessarily a good thing.But in this case - as Ed Morrissey writes
Michigan went to Obama, and so did Illinois, as did a number of other states which are home to car making. I was wondering how the Big Three's manufacturing facilities layout over the electoral map. 
"Let Detrtoit go Bankrupt" is the title of Mitt's piece in the New York Times and he pulls few punches in letting the auto industry have it for their many sins. A sample:First, their huge disadvantage
Just goes to prove the old adage that a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich if he wants to: A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former  Attorney General Alberto Gonza
There was one single time in the last two years when the Republicans should have listened to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  That was when he said of the credit crisis thingy, "no one knows what t
Members of the Sulzberger family have even more reason to regret letting Cousin Pinch run their patrimony into the ground. Just last year he raised their dividend almost a third, in the face of outsid
There is an observable pattern  to discussions on the Internet. It is called "Godwin's Law."  The rule states:"As an Internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis o
John McCain lost because first and foremost, he was not a good candidate and the people he had advising him were clueless.But don't tell McCain pollster Bill McInturff that. Speaking before a National
Rahm Emanuel co-authored a book that reads like the precursor to Obama's primary campaign document, Blueprint for Change, Obama and Biden's Plan for America. Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed wrote The Plan
This Fox News report on the $23,000,000 ceiling mural at the UN Human Rights Council's European headquarters tells you all that is necessary about this agency headed by that role model of human rights
It's true that as his Finance Director, Obama probably feels that he owes Penny Pritzker, an early and longtime backer of his, something.But nominating her for Secretary of Commerce seems to be pushin
Many have felt that the biggest and most significant part of the Bill Ayers-Barack Obama story was overlooked: Ayers' views on education and Obama's apparent approval of his noxious plan (for other pe
The Sulzberger family absolutely controls the foundering New York Times Company, and deliberates in secret on its future. Those interested in the fate of the company are reduced to a seismology-like r
Mike Allen of Politico is reporting that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has been tapped to head the Department of Homeland Security.A border governor with a "law and order" reputation, her choice a
As if there aren't enough clowns in Congress...Al Franken (D) is still  trying to joke his way into being the Senator from Minnesota.  But it is not a  joke--nor has it ever been.  Despite the deep po
My conceptual solution to the auto company bailout question is as follows: The federal government makes a one-time only injection of the requested $25 billion into the Big Three in return for a propor
Two American Thinker writers - News Director Ed Lasky and frequent contributor Clarice Feldman - have articles featured today at Pajamas Media.Both pieces deal with what a potential Obama Administrati
That fact was kept under wraps..until after the election. Scowcroft, along with Zbigniew Brzezinski (who also advised Barack Obama on foreign policy issues) have a long problematic record toward Israe
Losing Rep. Dingell as the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee  does not bode well for American industries, but there is another ominous reason to fear Henry Waxman's ascent to the Chairmans
Representative John Dingell (D-General Motors) has lost his chairmanship of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. The full Democratic caucus voted yesterday to strip the 82 year old holdover fro
Hours before the polls closed on November 4th, the S & P 500 stock index closed for the day at 1005.75 . Yesterday, after 12 trading sessions since the election results were known, the S & P closed at
Shockingly positive views of our forces in Afghanistan are revealed in this translation of a post by a French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantryman working with our toops there. A cou
No sense in waiting for the new Congress to get up a head of steam on the so-called "Employee Freedom of Choice Act" and allow the unions to push this execrable legislation through.To remind our reade
Yes, now more than ever, the US Congress looks like the country it  represents.  In another change it now has a pregnant, unmarried member.  Joining  the ranks of  women over 35 having a  baby  withou
Legendary WGN radio talk show host Milt Rosenberg was one of  the recipients of this year's National Humanities Medal awarded by the President  during a ceremony held at the White House. Milt has been
Global warming alarmists love to maintain that the Arctic ice pack is melting. Tell it the whales trapped in Arctic ice! AFP reports:At least 200 narwhal whales in Canada's Arctic, trapped by winter i
The mastermind of a 2006 airline bombing has been killed in a missile attack in northwest Pakistan according to a Pakistani intelligence source.Rashid Rauf along with another al-Qaeda operative died i
The AP reports that Barack Obama's economic plan "aims for 2.5 million new jobs by 2011."   In other words, he hopes to do almost as well as President George W. Bush did.According to the Bureau of Lab
So how does the GOP get back in the game when it comes to using the new technologies of the 21st century? First, get one nationally syndicated talk show host who is known as the "Father of Blogging."
Just as the Sulzberger family starts getting used to a 75% cut in their dividend income, more bad news accumulates for the New York Times, their principal source of wealth and prestige. Collectively r
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has  graciously declared :   CNSNews.com) - President-elect Barack Obama and  his wife Michelle "have every right" to send
Growing up before computers, we relied on board games as staples of play.  One of our favorites was Monopoly.  We didn’t realize it, but by playing Monopoly we began to understand concepts that would
In the comments to Gregory Young's article "Bring It On" in the American Thinker  Fearless Bear makes a critical point. The EPA public comment phase for carbon control ends next Friday 11/28/08. Here
As the Obama transition begins to unfold, the public is starting to get a look at what Barack Obama really means when he talks about the "Audacity of Hope." Since this was the theme on which he campai
The election is over.  We lost.  Now it behooves us to think about how we are going to face the next four years.  For the last couple of weeks a poem has been sounding in my mind.  It is by the sevent
Today, the NYT has a big piece about how traditional cafes all over France are going by the wayside -- all, according to the NYT, because of  "changing attitudes, habits and now a poor economic climat
News from the Washington Post:NBC Universal made the first of potentially several rounds of staffing cuts at The Weather Channel (TWC) on Wednesday, axing the entire staff of the "Forecast Earth" envi
Now that the election is over, I am beginning to have a personal life. No better symbol of my process of recovery from the stress of 14 hour days at work (I call it "vegecuperating©") could one find t
I  have always been fond of Lord Black and an admirer of his. Never more so than today upon reading his article written from prison as he awaits the result of his appeal  of what I regard as a meritle
If you've been reading a lot about the economic situation here and around the world, you can't help but be struck by how terrible the future looks to a lot of "experts."Is this a function of the media
Representative Charles Rangell (D-NY) has recently found himself in hot water for his ownership of several rent controlled apartments that he rented out while keeping two of the units for his personal
I read in AT that a statue of bloodthirsty revolutionary Che Guevara has appeared in Central Park, so I went to 5th Ave. & 60th street to see it for myself. The statue is supposed to be on display unt
How noble are confessions after the damage has been done? Our democracy depends on informed voters. The failure of many in the media to fulfill their responsibilities to inform voters is a blot that i
Many  liberals are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving once again, thankful  they finally took back their  country when their candidate won  the presidential election.  To demonstrate their gratitude t
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. Things that we had postponed for too long, that were long-term, are now immediate and must be dealt with. This crisis provides the opportunity for us t
Even Hugo Chavez's most diehard supporters have to see what he has been doing to the economy now that oil prices have plunged:From the New York Times: President Hugo  Chávez’s supporters suffered a st
The Communist Party USA is just ecstatic about the election of Barack Obama and the strengthening of Democrat majorities in Congress.  According to the People's Weekly World, Communist Party USA leade
The broadcast television networks face a double whammy as advertising markets soften and audience erosion to cable and the internet continues. Big Three auto makers are among their biggest advertisers
If you're a reader who's put little stock in my continuing assertions that our "relationship" with China and gargantuan current account deficits are the larger part of America's current financial cris
Via Hot Air , we learn that Russian troops may have fired on the cars carrying the presidents of Georgia and Poland.  Polish President Lech Kaczynski, in Georgia to mark the fifth anniversary of the
The difference between a deep recession and a full blown depression is if prices begin to slide precipitously. Historically, once that process starts it becomes very difficult to stop until the market
Well, if the Democrats are looking for a way to stimulate consumers, they have hit upon a brilliant scheme. Taking a look at what they have planned for a "stimulus package" I would guess the numbers j
When the New York Times refers to the bailout plan for Citigroup as "radical," it must be somewhere out near Mars: Federal regulators approved a radical plan to stabilize Citigroup  in an arrangement
Judging by a talk Mark Ritchie had with the Weekly Standard's John McCormack, the Minnestoa Secretary of State is a little fuzzy on the details of election law in his state.McCormack asked  how ballot
To lighten the doom and gloom we've  all been reading these past few weeks, here's some unintended comedy from "one  of the leading" Russian political analysts.Professor Igor Panarin is not  only pred
The race between incumbent Republican Saxbe Chambliss and his Democratic challenger Jim Martin is very tight with Chambliss leading narrowly in most polls.The two are in a runoff for the seat with a v
Charles Rangel, the powerful New York Democrat congressman, was instrumental in protecting a tax loophole that benefitted an oil-drilling company run by a benefactor of his pet project: the Charles B.
Having learned the hard way just what happens when they challenge the Israeli's directly, the terrorist group Hezb'allah has taken to hiring Palestinian terrorists to attack Jewish targets instead of
To liberals, Brian Tomes is a simple turkey farm hand who just  doesn't understand the ways of the world, the ways of television. According to Inside Edition, which  conducted the now wildly popular i
In one of the most significant victories in the courtroom over terrorism to date, a Dallas jury has found 5 members of the Holy Land Foundation guilty of financially supporting Hamas.This was the seco
In the workers' paradise bequeathed by Mao unto the global proletariat, unemployment is on the rise.  Keeping people occupied in Communist China's (or any) totalitarian state is the only way to avoid
The CPUSA emphasizes unity behind Obama, warning its fellow travelers to "resist efforts by reaction and some on the left" and to "not get bogged down in disputes over Cabinet appointments."I reported
Nobody likes working for a company in decline. So we should not be surprised at outbreaks of unrest in the newspaper industry.Unionized employees at the Associated Press (not a newspaper itself, but o
Via Fausta Wertz,  we receive the ominous information that the Russian navy is holding joint exercises with the Venezuelans in the Carribean Ocean: The exercises coincide with a visit to Caracas by th
While we watch the country's top economists flounder to and fro in their various stabs at fixing the troubled economy, one has to wonder where they were two years ago when perhaps steps could have bee
Here comes another mindless call for government-as-savior in the forthcoming Obama era. MSNBC travel columnist and "consumer advocate " Christopher Elliott calls for something he calls "re-regulation.
Barack Obama has decided to keep Robert Gates in his post as Defense Secretary, the first time a DoD chief will transition from one party's control of the White House to another.From the New York Time
Columbia University, part of the east coast Ivy League and ensconced in the  heart of New York City believes, as a university of this stature would, in  diversity and openness.  And choice.  And freed
It's still uncertain whether Heidi Cullen, who once wrote that the American Meteorological Society should pull the certification of any weatherperson daring to question AGW, will be a casualty of last
As the late Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) once said, "A million here, a  million there and pretty soon you're talking about a lot of money."  That  philosophy came to mind hearing every day about a t
I must admit I enjoyed reading the bad reviews of Rosie O'Donnell's ego trip /variety show. It couldn't have happened to a nicer conspiracy theorist. Only 5 million viewers tuned in to see "Rosie Live
Peter the Great once described Russia as a country in which things that just don't happen, happen.  It's true.Authorities in Novorossiysk, a city near the Black Sea, have declared this week to be a "w
One score and seven days ago, give or take, our electorate brought forth on this continent, a new President.  Since then, he’s been able to become Lincoln faster than Lincoln, or so some pundits would
An airworthy example of the ultimate piston-powered airliner will survive, thanks to the efforts of our German friends. The most advanced version of the most beautiful passenger airliner ever built, t
Could there be another dimension to the terror attack in Mumbai? We know that a primary objective of the Al Qaeda attack on 9/11 was a hypothesized financial collapse of the American economy. Given th
To many current day Americans, John Locke is a character on a popular television series.  When I mention Locke in the context of a political discussion, I am often met with a puzzled look, my debate p
Jonah Goldberg thinks it is fine for Barack Obama to send his kids to private school. I agree. But he also argues it is criminal that in D.C, the public school spending per student at $13,000 per stud
It sounds like an article from the Onion, but it's not. A surging crowd of bargain hunters at a Wal-Mart in Long Island trampled to death a store worker, and caused a miscarriage in a pregnant woman s
Horrific numbers coming out of Mumbai as authorities sift through the the damage wrought by 3 days of war fought in the middle of a major city. Latest reports put the death toll at more than 170 - a n
Ed Morrissey  updates us on the Minnesota senate race and the failed efforts of Al Franken to have rejected ballots that were not originaly counted to be tallied.And why were these ballots rejected? S
Peter Funt, an Obama supporter, complains in the Washington Post about being solicited for yet more money by the Obama forces, after The One already raised far more money than any campaign in history.
The mainstream media's goto guy (a mental midget) on the attacks in Mumbai, is dancing around the obvious nature of the effort. Fareed Zakaria assures us that the attacks were aimed at Indians, not fo
A poll of 12,000 citizens in 11 countries shows that people are not buying the Global Warming theory and that they are less likely to make "personal sacrifices" on the altar of climate change religion
The debate rages in academia and on the pages of the nation's newspapers; how successful was FDR's New Deal in bringing the economy back from its lows in 1932-34?Amity Shales of the Wall Street Journa
As predicted by Ed Lasky, Samantha Power, a long time close associate of Barack Obama  has returned to the inner circles of the Obama team  , with a role in vetting State Department personnel, policy
In case anyone hasn't noticed, Vladmir Putin is not our friend: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to help start a nuclear energy program  in Venezuela and said Moscow is willing to participate
This is not going to end until the world resolves the chaos in Somalia.  It is one of those problems where dealing with the "root causes" is actually the only answer:  Somali pirates hijacked a chemic
BBC America does seem to have -- depending on your point of view --impeccable or terrible timing. Well before the horror in Mumbai but well after the horror of 9/11 and the  7July, 2007  Moslem instig
The first domestic Chinese jet airliner had its first flight last Friday. A potentially serious new competitor is growing its capability in the most sophisticated and complex civilian manufacturing se
Calling themselves "The People's Alliance for Democracy, hundreds of protesters have jammed Thailand's two international airports stranding thousands while causing a crisis in the shaky government of
Who said this after the jihadi Mumbai massacres of last week? "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to def
Obama's election is really bringing them out of the woodwork, isn't it? Every liberal kook in the world now feels enabled to advance any cockamamie idea they can come up with.Try this one; a court to
While Representative Charles Rangel's hometown newspaper - The New York Times - can't quite bring itself to call on the tax evading, doubledipping Congressman to step down as Chairman of the powerful
For several years, frequent AT contributor and terrorism expert Walid Phares has been predicting the kind of "urban jihad" we saw in Mumbai where a small handful of terrorists could take control of an
Conventional wisdom (fanned by Obama supporters in the press) says that Barack Obama's record haul of campaign contributions came from ordinary Americans giving small amounts of money to the cause.Tha
The death toll from the Mumbai massacre continues to climb, inching toward 200 with a final tally to exceed 300 according to Indian authorities: Piles of bodies were found yesterday after commandos st
As noted previously here  describing the horror in Mumbai  "reports coming from survivors rival anything Dante  ever wrote about hell."  And the general description certainly was hellish.But as more f
The bailout is ballooning. Imagine that. Some estimates now put the total bill at over 8 trillion dollars.Those of you who thought that the money was going to the poor folks holding bad mortgages need
There are important lessons to be learned from Mumbai. In a county as large and open as the United States, I think it would be relatively easy for similar  killers to strike at malls, movie theaters,
They wanted to kill 5000 innocent men, woman and children and in their disturbing view of the world only succeeded in murdering approximately 300 civilians.  Azam Amir Kasab, 21, from Pakistan, the on
Blissfully unconcerned with political correctness, columnist Mark Steyn clears away the pc underbrush, forthrightly explaining the implications of the horror in Mumbai. Yes, the terrorists targeted lo
There are few human beings on planet earth more annoying than Deepak Chopra, the touchy-feely, New Age Guru whose fetid, gooey, and completely banal nostrums regarding health and healing have reached
While serving as campaign treasurer for Rep. Rahm Emanuel, William Singer became involved in a real estate deal with two men who have pleaded guilty to corruption charges. The Chicago Sun-Times has th
Allow this figure to sink in for a moment; Obama has 13 million email addresses of supporters.More than 3 million of those people gave money to his campaign. That is a well of support he can draw from
This story in the Wall Street Journal is instructive because it reminds us that even if we secretly acknowledge that it might feel good to round up doom and gloom economists, it is a horrible way to r
A Welsh couple trapped in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai during the terror attack has publicly accused CNN of aiding the terrorists in finding them, by broadcasting their location on air. From Wales On
Roosevelt's New Deal is hailed by textbooks and journalists as the pathway to a new and vibrant economic republic, but current texts such as FDR's Folly by Jim Powell and Amity Shlaes' book The Forgot
Does the New York Times care about facts anymore? Or is it too corrupted by Obama love to bother with any bit of research-at all? Monday's headline is symptomatic of how the paper will be covering the
The Mumbai massacre has been horrifically  described previously here at AT . And even more gruesomely hellish details  slipped out in a Malaysian paper about the Mumbai carnage from Azam, the  presuma
This is getting ridiculous. The idea that in this day and age we've got to deal with pirates on the bounding main is ludicrous. Until the world decides to do something about the failed state of Somali
This is not a surprise given the fact that Bill Clinton is probably going to do something of a disappearing act once his wife is sworn in as Secretary of State.There is just no way that Bill Clinton w
According to the Muslim Council of India, there should be no "final resting place anywhere in sacred Mother India" for the bodies of the terrorists responsible for the events in Mumbai over the past w
I wouldn't drop the balloons and throw the confetti just yet but it appears that incumbent GOP senator Saxbe Chambliss is going to cruise to an easy win in today's Georgia senate runoff election:Publi
Relax you ACLU types.  Of course I believe in the legal process, guilty until proven innocent and alleged suspects being read their Miranda rights.  Having publicly stated my bona fides I still find t
This illustrates  that Barack Obama's rhetoric is not flawless...nor is he.But then a reporter asked the president-elect a particularly inconvenient question: During the campaign, Obama claimed the ri
The world watched in horror as the terrorists prowled and murdered for hours through the streets of a major city in India. The mayhem went all but unabated. No one tried to stop them -- because no one
In a recent column on the Mumbai attacks, Mark Steyn offered the stunning observation that major British newspapers called the terrorists "suspected gunmen" in captions describing photographs of the a
If you are still as angry as I am about Congressman Murtha's slander of the Marines in Haditha, you might be interested to know who shipped him the last minute funds he needed to pull victory out of a
Senator Saxbe Chambliss says that the appearances of Sarah Palin in the last week of his campaign "allowed us to peak" at the right time and credits her with energizing the Republican base in the stat
Via my good friend and ex-Chicagoan Tom Elia of The New Editor  comes the story of why Chicago is "Da Ciddee Dat Wirx:" Mayor Richard M. Daley said Tuesday that city crews will cut back on  plowing si
The Council on Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institution have issued a report directed at the new president warning of the potential for an Iranian nuclear weapon "in the first year" of his admi
It seems like only yesterday that bottled water was cool. Europeans drank it after all, and LA trendies carried bottles suspended from their necks in cute leather harnesses. How 90's that all is now!
This article by John Perazzo  in today's FrontPage.com is absolutely devastating in its portrayal of Attorney General designate Eric Holder's complicity in the pardons of 16 Puerto Rican terrorists.In
With oil trading at below $50 bbl and OPEC apparently unwilling to cut production very much, the Obama team is quietly shelving one of the cornerstones of their economic program - a "windfall profits
The Wall Street Journa l has learned that the Indian government believes the leader of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is the man behind the Mumbai massacre:Just two days before hitting the city,
Just days after 10 terrorists -- likely Islamic extremists -- butchered more than 170 people -- including 6 Americans -- in Mumbai, Bill Clinton listed terrorism second to last in a list of challenges
Jeb Bush may be the most popular Republican in the state of Florida. And with the announcement yesterday by Senator Mel Martinez that he would not seek another term in 2010 and may resign early, the p
Mickey Kaus often makes refreshingly clear observations. His analysis of the reporting on the Mumbai massacre is a good example:Read the Times story and you'll see a numbing litany of "systemic" probl
The easy re-election of Saxby Chambliss in Georgia has remarkable similarities to the election of Paul Coverdale almost sixteen years ago.  In both cases, Democrats had just captured the White House f
But workers receiving government assistance is at a 26 year high: The Labor Department reported that initial claims for  unemployment insurance dropped to a seasonally adjusted 509,000, from an  upwar
StrategyPage.com  has the sobering news that Ethiopian troops who have been propping up the Transitional National Government in Somalia are abandoning a key city to the rebels:  Ethiopian troops have
Secretary of State Rice and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen were in Islamabad on Thursday trying to address the growing tension between India and Pakistan over the terror attacks
Rahm Emanuel faces no confirmation hearings as White House Chief of Staff, and that's a good thing for him. Michael Luo of the New York Times does a good job of examining how a political operative in
When you've got 10 million email addresses and a data base on 3 million donors, you'd be crazy as a politician not to find a use for such a wealth of ready made assistance to pressure Congress to pass
Although the orbits of the sun and its planets have inexplicably not changed  since the election of President- Elect Barack H. Obama, the latter's wondrous  earth shattering effects are still reverber
What should we do about the Somali pirates?If you're John Burnett  writing in the New York Times, you pine for those peaceful days in Somalia back in 2006 when the al-Qaeda linked Islamic Courts Union
It's all over but the weeping for the corrupt governor of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune  is reporting that Governor Rod Blagojevich's most trusted advisor and friend wore a wiretap authorized by a fed
You may recall the UN's 2001 "Conference on Racism" held in Durban, South Africa that devolved into such a horrifically anti-Semitic free for all that mild mannered Colin Powell ordered the entire Ame
Photographer and filmmaker, Andrew Zuckerman, has published a book entitled Wisdom. The book includes photographs and quotes from various luminaries who have made their mark on the world. A brief summ
Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting editorial noting that the father of Anthropogenic Global Warming, James Hansen, has come out in favor of a 100% rebated carbon tax and fourth generation
A New York Times report on the last day of the Mumbai siege read: "It is not known if the Jewish center was strategically chosen, or if it was an accidental hostage scene."Is the New York Times trying
Collapsing advertising revenues are forcing extreme cuts in staffing, and may push major papers out of existence in 2009. The Gannett Blog reports the grim reality at that major chain, where thousands
Here's an interesting quote from today's Boston Globe:Men are losing jobs at far greater rates than women as the industries they dominate, such as manufacturing, construction, and investment services,
Now that the election is over, will Barack Obama supporters  in the media start  scrutinizing him and his picks with anything less than adoration? Not if you  read all the columns extolling his "brain
The headline at Editor and Publisher grabbed my attention:.  Online Journalists Jailed More than Any Other MediumWhat?  My peace loving, law abiding colleagues at AT and other sites, even those with o
Alec MacGillis of the Washington Post pens an adoring account of Barack Obama and the academic elites that are landing roles in the upcoming Obama administration.  He cites Douglas Baird, "who hired O
EU Referendum reprints portions of a transcript of an incredible clash between Czech President Vaclav Klaus and members of the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament, Friday 5 Decembe
With oil prices tumbling toward the $40 bbl mark, the cartel will probably take drastic action and cut production substantially says the head of the organization:  Oil markets should brace for a surpr
The daughter of President John F. Kennedy may be contemplating a trip to the US Senate.The seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton - if she is confirmed for Secretary of State - is subject to an appoint
Here's a great idea; force inefficiency, ridiculous work rules, and other union-inspired impediments to competency on the network of foreign-owned auto plants already here in America. The Los Angeles
The masterful Mark Steyn captures the madness that has gripped the liberal media in reporting the Mumbai massacres, in a piece  titled "Jews get killed, but Muslims feel vulnerable."  The stunningly o
President elect Obama has pledged to spend "hundreds of billions" of dollars on "public works" projects in order to put people to work :Mr. Obama and his team are working with Congressional leaders to
Many math teachers in our public schools ... don't know any math. And some states are hiding this fact.The study of mathematics is essential for learning how to think. Mathematics is as close to logic
Unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers has an eye-popping piece in the New York Times today where he "explains himself" by informing us that he wasn't a terrorist and that all those radicals Obama hung arou
The Seattle Times has a disturbing story. A superior lotion for chemical weapon decontamination was on the DoD wishlist, but the company which made a less efficacious powder currently in use liberally
As Obama promises massive public works spending, it is worthwhile looking at Japan, which has tried to use massive public works spending to lift its economy out of the doldrums for the better part of
Not too many people are alive today who remember the events of another Sunday, 67 years ago, the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor and other sites on Oahu, Hawaii.  On that horrible Sund
Martin Indyk (Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution), along with Council of Foreign Relations President Richard Hass, recently provided the foreword and firs
Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe reports on a conference this coming March, sponsored by the Heartland Institute, which will gather together global warming skeptics: THE MAIL brings an invitation to re
President elect Obama's Ambassador-designate to the UN  Susan Rice was a major roadblock to capturing Osama Bin Laden when the terrorist was operating out of Sudan in the 1990's according to anti-terr
Anh Joseph Cao has become the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress, defeating indicted incumbent William Jefferson, whose freezer was found to contain $90,000 in cold cash, and who awaits tri
Would an ally, or friend, or even a neutral nation allow something like this to happen?  Gunmen blasted their way into  two transport terminals in Pakistan on Sunday and torched more than 160 vehicles
If you were expecting the Republicans to take a stand against government intervention in the auto industry, I hate to inform you but don't hold your breath.The New York Times: But Senator Bob Corker,
Let me get this straight.  We are about to swear in a new President without checking his actual birth certificate -- something many jobs require. Whatever you think about what the media call the "whis
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantánamo detainees have issued guilty pleas and asked the military court trying them for the 9/11 plot to accept their confessions. Barack Obama is the big winn
It has been said that "he who is not faithful in the small things, will not be faithful in the important things."  As has been noted by AT, Barack Obama has yet to kick his smoking habit. When asked b
Remember all those people who took out home equity loans on their homes to finance a lifestyle beyond their income? Well, the New York Times Company  is trying to pull off the corporate equivalent.  T
Cyberspace thieves and pirates who hack government computers should be vigorously combated across the entire US national security landscape according to a report issued by a panel on computer security
"Missile defense systems on the ground, at sea and in the air long ago ceased  being the stuff of science fiction," is the conclusion of this DC Examiner editorial  calling on Barack Obama to deploy t
It won't matter much to India that Pakistani intelligence had no hand in the Mumbai attacks. This is because there appear to be either rogue elements within the ISI or elements that give the ISI leade
A very large memory hole is being dug in Britain, one sufficient to destroy the foundations of the civilization which brought science, mass democracy, and progress to mankind in the course of creating
Sometime soon, we should expect to see ice cream truck vendors lining up for a federal bailout. After all, it's winter and the economy has hit them pretty hard too. Besides, think of the kids.I had th
In what Ed Lasky called an eye-popping piece,  Bill Ayers explained why terrorizing innocent people doesn't make him a terrorist.Ayers' self righteously claimed in a NYTimes op-ed , "I never killed or
It just boggles the mind. Trying to sell a senate seat (person is identified only as "candidate #5")? Speculation who that might be centers on Jesse Jackson, Jr. who wanted Obama's seat so bad he coul
We've been predicting it here at AT for weeks. The trail of extraordinary and sickening corruption left by Governor Rod Blagojevich has finally caught up with him. He and his chief of staff John Harri
In American, the word crisis is associated with everything from obesity to the computer games, but in Russia using ‘crisis' and ‘economy' in the same sentence is a cause for government concern.  The R
"What really draws me to the notion of Caroline (Kennedy) as senator, though, is the modern-fairy-tale quality of it all. ... Caroline has always been part of my consciousness: The lucky little girl w
If he were Republican would that help prompt coverage by the  New York Times? Yes, they are taking on Charles Rangel, a Democratic Congressman  and Chairman of the powerful ways and Means Committee wh
Barack Obama's stint as a community organizer, and his  allegiance in the principles of Saul Alinsky (a strategy that  values the power of protest), has elicited much speculation regarding how he  wou
New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) further stoked the rumors  that Caroline Kennedy is interested in inheriting er, being appointed to  fill Hillary Clinton's (D) soon to be vacant NY senator
Following years of warnings that melting ice will magnify global warming, perhaps to an irreversible "tipping point," scientists are now crediting melting ice with slowing the very same process.  Real
Aluf Benn, the well-regarded correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, is reporting that the incoming Obama administration intends to offer Israel a "nuclear umbrella" to protect that nation fr
Hurray! Everyone can now relax and use Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein. It is no longer racist to do so. The Chicago Tribune reports that the PEOTUS plans to "reboot America's image" and use his m
With all these anonymous pols designated by numbers rather than names in the Blagojevich criminal complaint, you won't be able to keep them all straight without a scorecard.The fact that Jesse Jackson
I'm sure you all remember Joe the Plumber, the ordinary guy who cornered Barack Obama on his tax proposals.*Well, Joe got an education when he campaigned with John McCain - and he didn't like it one b
From our "Media no-brainer Department" comes an editorial in the Chicago Sun Times  calling on Governor Rod Blagojevich to do the right thing and step down now:If Gov. Blagojevich does not resign imme
The President-elect told the nation yesterday that he didn't meet with his governor over appointment of a successor. Later, top aide David Axelrod confessed that when he claimed otherwise, he misspoke
As the GOP looks at strategies geared to restore its tattered  reputation, they could do worse than look at the career of one of their more  promising stars, Congressman Mark Kirk (10th District, Illi
He is attractive, always well groomed, an excellent campaigner, prodigious at fund raising trail and can put together a tremendously effective political ad campaign.  He has a compelling personal stor
The NYT headline says it all: "Obama's Intervention for Ethics Bill Indirectly Led to Case Against Governor"That is right. Barack Obama -- a man mired in the swamp of Chicago Machine politics, wholehe
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's (D) arrest  for a "political corruption crime spree" allegedly including trying to sell the soon to be vacant senate seat of Senator/President-elect Barack H. Obama
While it is true that Governor Blagojevich beat his Republican opponent by 10 percentage points in 2006, he only won 50 percent of the total vote.  A badly divided Republican party came out of a multi
Thomas Lifson reports in "Obama needs to get his story straight" that Obama claimed to have had no contact with Blagojevich or his office about the governor's criminal efforts at selling the vacant Se
Do you detect any signs of stress here? Fran Spielman and Abdon M. Pallasch of the Chicago Sun-Times write:Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama's news conference this morning. He was spo
Three cheers for Republicans in the senate - at least those who decided that enough is enough and refused to give in to White House pressure to support the auto bailout bill.Mitch McConnell put his fo
The Obama administration has  promised to give the United Nations a far bigger role in American policy,  Claudia Rosett reminds us in her superb new column in Forbes magazine. We can  see this from ca
Yesterday, we  noted that a report was published November 5th that Blago met with Obama over his successor, contradicting Obama's contention, and supporting the assertion of David Axelrod -- in a stat
In a meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board published on March 16, 2008, Obama promised to reappoint Patrick Fitzgerald in his job as US Attorney.Tribune: In the question that Bruce [Dold, T
Former labor lawyer Richard Berman, writing in the DC Examiner, makes a compelling case that the only thing that can save GM is a big cut in the only thing it really controls: labor costs: GM has thre
The Politico story has some excellent points but what do you want to bet that few of these questions will be directed to the messiah at today's press conference?Here are a couple of good ones: 1 – “Di
Jennifer Rubin writing in Commentary's blog Contentions , observes that even the MSM is being forced to cover the scandal. She cites this from the NYT: Mr. Emanuel was among the few people in Mr. Obam
Minnie Pearl talked of a cousin who bought bushels of hay for $5 each, trucked them to customers out of town, and sold them for $4 each.  Minnie said, "You ain't makin' money that way."  Her cousin sa
This is not necessarily a shocker because the Chicago Trib reported back in October that Rezko was singing in exchange for a lighter sentence on his 18 count fraud conviction. But wouldn't you have wa
Patricia (Patti) Mell Blagojevich, otherwise known as the First Lady of  Illinois by virtue of her husband, Governor Rod Blagojevich (D), admitted in a recent soft profile  in Chicago Parent Magazine,
ABC News' White House Correspondent Jake Tapper  noticed  a new tool  from  the Office of the President-Elect's  and Vice President- Elect's Transition  Team's change.gov site.     Open Government Ope
Considering the source, this is hilarious:Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell today criticized Barack Obama for not being more upfront about the Illinois corruption scandal.Now, he said, the story will conti
Just three days before Blagojevich was arrested, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., whose campaign finance surrogate reportedly offered $1 million for Obama's senate seat to the governor's representative, held
Despite the successful Republican effort in the senate to kill the auto bailout, there is still one more avenue open for The Big Three to cruise to taxpayer funded heaven; Secretary of Treasury Paulse
A close associate of Chicago Tribune chairman Sam Zell has been confirmed as the middleman who heard out and perhaps even agreed to Blagojevich’s terms that in exchange for help in Springfield with th
Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass tells us about Jimmy De Leo, the state senator who runs Rahm Emmanuel's Congressional District, the guy behind Governor Rod Blagojevich:It's reasonable to assume th
Gov. Blagojevich has few options left to cash in on Obama's vacant Senate seat now that he was arrested for trying to auction it off. But he still has the power to appoint anyone he wishes as long as
At this point, the media is torn. They are looking at perhaps the biggest story of the next 4 years square in the face and yet, can't help themselves by overreaching to protect their investment and tr
Unwittingly revealing the Democratic Congressional attitude towards the  auto bailout--and probably just about any other governmental handout  goodie--Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) encouraged her colle
Which party is more corrupt?  Maybe you've seen lists.  The National Taxpayer's Union has a pretty good list http://www.ntu.org/main/press.php?PressID=343.  The NTU's gripe, though, is not which party
The details of the confession from the only surviving Mumbai terrorist, obtained by AP, is pretty chilling:  The gunman captured in last month's Mumbai attacks had originally intended to  seize hostag
I guess the Obama team took that old adage about a penny and a pound and updated it a bit; in for half a trillion, in for a trillion. President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is considering an  ec
Victoria Toensing takes this serial offender to task:Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's "conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. But Mr. Fitzger
David Axelrod is largely - and rightly - credited with successfully crafting Barack Obama's campaign message machine and using it to great effect during the campaign.But before he elected a president,
As the international and national, not to mention local, media breathlessly  cover the latest Illinois pay to play gubernatorial scandal, they overlooked  another routine  Chicago  incident; a scandal
Rumors are flying around Chicago that Governor Rod Blagojevich could resign as early as tomorrow. The reason given may be that he wants to devote full time to his defense from charges of corruption an
It is a process that warms the heart of every prosecutor with extensive wiretap evidence and a large potential pool of indictable miscreants. Those who squeal early get a better deal than the stand-up
It hasn't quite gotten to the "What did the president know and when did he know it" stage. But there are several lingering questions about contacts between the Obama team and Governor Blagojevich's ov
President Bush paid a last, surprise visit to Iraq today in order to highlight the new Status of Forces agreement the government reached with the Iraqis last month: Air  Force One arrived in Baghdad a
This kind of thing happens more than you might think; unions seeking to give cronies jobs set up fake charities who siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars from membership dues. Sometimes, a small ded
The involvement of George Soros in the career and campaigns of Barack Obama has been noted by the American Thinker in numerous articles. His influence is also reflected in a range of think tanks, acti
If you've been laboring under the impression that President Bush is in favor of expanding and strengthening the American military, I've got some news for you.  The man he installed as the replacement
As Jack Nicholson's "Joker" said in the movie Batman, "This town needs an enema!" So does the Republican Party. Previous tests have proven that the GOP has some, shall we say "matter," in there that's
President George W. Bush's surprise farewell appearance in Baghdad was bizarrely interrupted by an Iraqi shoe-palmer named Muntazer al Zaidi yesterday.  Deftly ducking the shoe-fly guy's best pitches,
Thanks to Patrick Fitzpatrick's wiretapping (hmmm, for some reason the ACLU has been thankfully silent about this)  Illinois has another new slimy addition to its political phrase book.  Governor Rod
Lost in the financial crisis has been the debate over charter schools and specifically, school vouchers as a vehicle to improve the education of poor children in the inner city.Despite heavy oppositio
Middle East scholar and Syria watcher Tony Badran has a great article in the latest issue of The Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA). It's part of a symposium featuring several excelle
With temperatures falling since 1998's peak, and much of the nation shivering, global warming propagandists become have become shriller, even asserting counterfactual propositions. Case in point: Seth
You've probably heard by now that at a press conference with Prime Minister Maliki in Iraq yesterday, an Iraqi journalist reporting for an Iraqi TV station based in Egypt threw two shoes at George Bus
It is official. Red-staters are  more patriotic than blue staters. Even more important than these general demographic shifts is the change  wrought by the end of the draft in 1973. Until then, militar
Barack Obama formally added another member to his Cabinet by recently announcing Arne Duncan as the new Secretary of Education.  The Harvard grad and Chicago CEO of Schools appears to be the perfect f
While it may be a perfectly human thing to wish to put such substantial threats out of mind from time to time, it is odd that, as Mark Steyn notes, we magnified the threat when nuclear weapons were in
The story of Mr. Shoe - the man who tossed his footwear at George Bush in Baghdad - is really getting strange. As Jim Hoft  reports, Mr. Shoe (real name Muntadar al-Zeidi) has spoken glowingly of anti
Congratulations to our friends at Investor's Business Daily for once again having the best polling on the presidential election, comparing final polling to the actual voting results. As IBD itself not
Considering the intensity and success of Russian spying, it's not surprising Putin names a previously unnamed Caucasus mountain in honor of spies:  MOSCOW, December 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Prime Mi
The infamous “Shoe-na-bomber,” Muntadar al-Zaidi, who threw two shoes at President Bush during a press conference in Iraq, is being lauded as a brave hero in many parts of the Middle East and in Ameri
Black Entertainment Television billionaire Bob Johnson wants in the Treasury's TARP action. Johnson outlined his proposal in a speech last week at the National Housing Forum sponsored by the Office of
Those of us who smoke have seen this coming for years. Once the government gets it in its head that it can dictate what are acceptable behaviors, the sky's the limit.In the case of New York state, Gov
The sudden rise of Dubai as one of the world's most important cities surely must be accounted a symbol of the current era of world history. It has become the de facto New York and Miami Beach of the A
I think Obama's "Team of Excellence" just got its first genuine lemon. It appears that the Superintendent of one of the worst school systems in the country will get the nod as Education Secretary:Arne
Well, it's official; Caroline Kennedy has royally declared her interest in  filling the soon to be vacant senate seat  of Hillary R. Clinton (D), who will  be resigning to become Secretary of State. 
The dramatic drop in oil prices is seriously hurting the petro-states, and now may redefine the pecking order of the world's major countries.Russia, according to a report by Toby Harnden of the UK Tel
Admittedly, I was irritated an hour ago after I repeatedly clicked on MSM website news stories regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against the the Bush administration in the Gitmo detainee case,
I have been puzzled by the continued emphasis on a bailout by Congress and the President. I originally opposed any sort of bailout and that continues to be my position. However, that didn't keep me fr
It seems that Attorney General Designee Eric Holder forgot to list that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich tried to hire him to sort out the state's long dormant casino license on his 47-page response
Not legal trouble, mind you. But the Chicago Sun Times is reporting that Rahmbo's contacts with Blagojevich over Obama's  senate seat are much more extensive than either Obama or Emanuel have led us t
Yesterday the Detroit Free Press announced that come next year, the paper will be delivered to home subscribers only three days a week (Thursday, Friday, and Sunday). This, according to the self-congr
From our "least surprising news of the day" file comes word that liberal Democrats on the Hill are lining up behind a consumer bailout plan we first reported on here. There appears to be some momentum
As a preview of transparent things to come beginning  01/01/01 AMO (After  the Messiah Obama), otherwise known now as Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 in  America, listen to  The Office of President
Big 3 execs may have their corporate jets, but the UAW has its own lovely golf course, the championship caliber Black Lake Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones. It's all a part of the Walter and May Reut
I think Franklin Roosevelt said something eerily similar about the New Deal:  US President George W. Bush said in an interview Tuesday he was forced to  sacrifice free market principles to save the ec
I thought we fought a revolution so that we could be rid of royalty, titles, and dynastic privileges.From Politico: Barack Obama's  path to the presidency included beating what had been one of the nat
During the election I found myself trying to explain how corrupt Chicago politicians were to some neighbors, a very devout Christian family that tends to see the best in most people.  They nodded poli
Ezra Levant, that fighter extraordinaire for  free speech, notes that the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) which once  unsuccessully targetted him, seems to prosecute only Christians for hate s
They could have frozen their pay as the Congress did in 2000. They could have refused the pay raise and made some political hay for themselves.Instead, each and every Member of Congress will receive a
Barack Obama continues sink into the political waves and befuddle those who thought he could walk on water. Obama chose Pastor Rick Warren to perform some inaugural duties, and the left isn’t thrilled
Through his attorney, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich said he would not name a senator to replace Barack Obama.  Gov. Rod Blagojevich will not appoint anyone to fill the U.S. Senate seat  vacated by
Chrysler, the smallest of the Big Three, will close all 30 of its production facilities in the United States for a month: Tighter credit markets are keeping would-be  buyers away from their showrooms,
Touting another pal from his neighborhood, Chicago Public School  Superintendent Arne Duncan, as the new Education Secretary, The Office of  President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama stated       In just s
Our soon to be president has chosen Elizabeth Alexander to write and read a poem for the inauguration. Alexander is a professor of African American studies at Yale. Her poetry is as lightweight as her
The Palin/Johnston baby is reportedly due tomorrow (Caesarean on an 18 year old?) So the new grandmother to be on the father to be's side gets herself arrested prior to the big event.  This is a littl
According to Glenn Reynolds,  one of the advisors actually believed at one time that economics should play no role in climate change policy. John Holden, tapped to be Obama's science advisor, is also
Not a handout but still guesswork whether the taxpayers are going to get this money back if the Big Three go belly up: The White House announced a $17.4 billion rescue package for the troubled  Detroi
It has been said that crisis leads to opportunity. This principle tends to hold true regardless of whether you believe Saul Alinsky's version,  or hope for genuine solutions to problems that benefit u
Should someone who wants to be senator prove that they are even tangentially involved in the political process by casting a vote in elections?In Caroline Kennedy's case, she better hope that the answe
According to a story in the Chicago Sun Times,  Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had one on one conversations with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich where a replacement for Obama's senate seat was di
The transition team of Barack Obama met recently with a range of Jewish organizations, described by Politico as an “unusually broad spectrum of Jewish groups." The groups include hawkish ones who were
The biggest gamblers on Wall Street are now to be rewarded with low cost loans from the Fed. Hedge Funds will be able to borrow from a $200 billion kitty to spur the consumer loan industry. And just w
The London Times is reporting that the Nobel Foundation is being rocked with a major scandal. According to the Times, a member of Nobel medical prize jury also sat on the board of  pharmaceutical gian
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is "Global Orgasm for Peace" day. I'm not quite sure how this will bring about peace (maybe terrorists, despots and warmongers will be intimidated into hiding by ou
For those of you wondering about what new red meat the NAACP would seek out to remain relevant with the "historic" election of the first World President and the reshaping of a country that for the fir
Barack Obama's emerging Cabinet has been noted for its diversity. He has taken great pride in having selected a Cabinet in record time ( well, since he considered himself a shoe-in for the Presidency
Here's a story that will put you in the Christmas mood.One of the largeest European banks, Credit Suisse, will pay its employees bonuses not in cash but in "illiquid" loans and bonds - including mortg
No firm date has been set as yet for parliamentary elections in Lebanon. The patchwork quilt cabinet cannot come to an agreement but that's not unusual. The target is sometime this spring, probably in
ABC News is reporting that the still secret report on Obama staff contacts with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's office says that Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel only spoke directly to Blago once
The wind chill is about 25 below today in Chicago. It snowed again last night. Perfect timing for a few more articles on the incoming Obama administration and its cast of global warming jihadists. Som
What do you do with a gaffe prone dunce who has just been elected Vice President of the United States?Put him in charge of something meaningless:  Vice President-elect Joe Biden  will oversee a task f
With the Democrats in charge of Congress and the White House, intra-party power struggles become amplified, regardless of protestations of unity. Nancy Pelosi in particular has been sending signals th
Beneath the glitter of  the Obama cabinet picks, the in-between post  election, pre inauguration period is also an opportunity to see the underside of  the Obama presidency.  Coming as it did from the
Barack Obama announced Dr. John Holdren, a  Harvard University professor, as assistant to the president for science and  technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology  Po
Abraham Lincoln spoke of "government of the people, by the people, for the  people."  Now California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D), the chief law  enforcement officer,  wants to do some elaborate p
After the historic election of Senator Barack H. Obama (D-IL), the first  presumably native Hawaiian president elected, supporters gushed that easily half  of the  50 million plus who voted for him wo
How to spin the receipt of millions from Arab governments and wealthy business tycoons? With the Clintons, it is child's play. Literally. Hillary Clinton supporters are getting the following email thi
Many readers of this site - including yours truly - have disagreed vehemently with George Bush on numerous occasions. Unlike the left, however, most of us have seen the president as a decent, God-fear
The Chicago Tribune reports that "individual D" is spilling his guts to prosecutors. Now identified by the Trib as medical serrvices entrepreneur/fundraiser Raghuveer P. Nayak, the witness is purporte
American Thinker has repeatedly alerted our readers to the prospect of George Soros having  more sway in Washington when Barack Obama assumes the Presidency. Soros was an early supporter of Barack Oba
The UK Telegraph reported yesterday "the wind farm industry has been forced to admit that the environmental benefit of wind power in reducing carbon emissions is only half as big as it had previously
The Boston Globe continues to provide answers to the question  of why subscribers are canceling subscriptions for newspapers run by Pinch  Sulzberger.There is no more ridiculous statement in any edito
The Democrats and MSM have largely hailed the 2008 electoral gains by the Left as a "people-driven" phenomenon.  While that point alone could be easily refuted by a close examination of campaign spend
The UK Telegraph is reporting that Barack Obama is considering abandoning laser-based airborne anti-missile defense. Writes the Telegraph today: 'US laser warplane under threat from Barack Obama The f
It would be embarrassing if we hadn't come to expect it by now.  More than a dozen photographs of a bathing suit-clad President-elect Barack  Obama surfaced  online Monday showing the shirtless Chicag
Al Gore has so far declined to take up our warnings about the daylight change crisis highlighted by Richard Strimple here and here, even though the evidence is at least as compelling as that supportin
To no one's surprise who has followed the "Kennedy Saga," Caroline Kennedy is refusing to release even basic financial information showing her investments and holdings:The New York Times: If she were
The annual Media Research Center quotes of the year is out and there are some fond memories in their selections as well as some real doozies that I had never heard.There are many different categories
Dr. Tim Ball, a former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg, has written a stunning piece on the politics of global warming that have taken place in the IPCC's summaries and reports. Hi
Like me, the editors of the Wall Street Journal think Scooter Libby was wrongly convicted and the President should pardon him:Mr. Bush's failure to manage his Administration's disputes on Iraq was a r
And just who is editing the NY Times these days?  Are the editors so concerned about the finances of their paper that they've completely forgotten the basics of journalism? It sure does seem that way.
The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that an FBI agent who worked on the criminal case against Ted Stevens has filed an 8 page complaint charging his fellow agents and the prosecution with misconduct
Vice President-elect Joe Biden is worried about the “exceedingly high expectations” the world community has for Barack Obama’s presidency.Who was responsible for these “overwhelming expectations”? May
The prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens more and more  seems to have  been scandalous. Yesterday we reported that an FBI agent who worked on that case filed an 8 page affidavit charging his fellow agen
President-elect Barack Obama, in the midst of a luxurious respite from the grueling schedule he maintained over the interminable 2008 campaign, enjoyed a round of golf Sunday at the Olomana Golf Club
The headline at The Globe and Mail reads, "US Falls Deeper Into Recession."     The sole data backing up its headline is that jobless claims went up again.  Newsflash: unemployment is a lagging indica
Since its inception, I have found the on-line magazine Politico to be one of the better sites on the web for political news and analysis. They have some fine writers there - to be sure some turkeys to
This time of year, especially under the conditions much of the country is experiencing, we see people who are digging out from under tons of snow who are mocking "global warming." This ticks off globa
You can appreciate the dilemma of Obama's Kenyesians. How best do we waste $1 trillion in next year's "stimulus package?"Do we dress it up in spiffy new language and spend it on creating grids for sol
We will have a few more months of these scary unemployment numbers (2 million could lose their jobs in December alone) but there is hope that by the summer, most of the dry rot will have been gotten r
Freedom of the press, open to diverse opinion?  Not at the rapidly sinking  NY Times.  While for some reason they were eager to publish    a  blatantly false letter ostensibly from the Parisian mayor
I am sure you will join me in congratulating the Obama camp for absolving itself of any wrongdoing in the Blagobust matter. Yesterday at 4:30 pm, they dumped their written report on staff contacts bet
He was tall and skinny and from Illinois and entered the presidential  contest at a distinct disadvantage.  Nevertheless, he prevailed and on  inauguration day was sworn in as president, taking the oa
It appears that there is a better than even chance that we will have to stifle our gag reflexes and start referring to the bufoonish, former Saturday Night Live writer and clown Al Franken as "senator
Here is the Christmas greeting from the crew of Apollo 8 as they orbited the moon forty years ago. They recited the first ten verses from the Book of Genesis, the King James Version:William Anders  We
The whopper of a "stimulus package" that Obama's team is working on and which will probably be close to $1 trillion before all is said and done has some major flaws in it already according to former T
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thought something was missing in the Christmas celebrations taking place in Britain. So, in his infinite wisdom (and towering hubris), he decided to give an "alter
American Thinker reported on the role of Herbert and Marion Sandler in the collapse of Wachovia Bank and in  America’s housing crisis in this article   ("How Allies of George Soros helped to bring dow
With less than a month remaining in his Presidency, I want to take a minute during the most wonderful time of the year and remind America why I greatly admire President Bush.To be fair I must mention
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,   Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.   And it came to pass, as the
The disclosure of Deep Throat's identity as the then-operational head of the FBI, Mark Felt has caused serious reappraisals of the real story of Watergate. George Friedman, President of Stratfor has w
As the world focuses on economic disasters, taking a brief break to enjoy the Holiday season, terrorists in Gaza have launched a new campaign to murder Jews.In just a two-day span, over 100 rockets an
A leaked forecast of the prospects for terrorism attacks in the United States over the next 5 years shows that the government appears to be most concerned about a biological attack that could devastat
One major issue with many supposedly "green" energy sources is reliability, and another is maintenance. Both issues are highlighted in a strikingly honest report in today's New York Times by Kate Galb
In a sign that tensions may be rising in southwest Asia, Pakistan is moving tens of thousands of troops away from the tribal regions where they had been carrying out operations against terrorists and
The New York Times is preparing to sell off its minority stake in the Boston Red Sox, one of its last major assets that can be readily marketed. The patrimony inherited by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden says that the incoming Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats are close to a deal on the biggest taxpayer giveaway extravaganza in history: In recent days, gov
After 22 rockets and mortars fired by terrorists slammed in the western Negev on Thursday and Friday, Israel is preparing a "limited operation" against Hamas, according to Haaertz: On Sunday, the prim
For those who either interpret The Office of the President-Elect Barack  Hussein Obama's invitation to the Rev Rick Warren to deliver  the inauguration  invocation as; a) by the left/liberals, a cynic
A chance to blame Bush, that is - for anything and everything imaginable. Wednesday's front-page headline heralded:Federal Cases of Stock Fraud Drop SharplyAnd why, pray tell, might that be?  Accordin
As Ed Morrissey points out, this was a nice gesture on the part of Obama. He didn't have to do it since he isn't CinC yet. And he didn't make a huge production out of it either.The reception Obama got
Andrew Ferguson, writing in the Weekly Standard, has the newest object of liberal beneficence. It's fat people and the idea that "fat" has become the new "smoking" for the nanny staters who just can't
Noemie Emery notes how far apart the various members of the Kennedy family have been on policy and behavior, argues that the public has observed this disconnect and questions Caroline's effort to cash
I suppose the real question is will there ever be agreement among everybody on just what is satire and what is racism?The answer is not as long as liberals see playing the race card as the political a
After leaking the news yesterday  that the IDF would wait until after a defense cabinet meeting on Sunday before launching a strike on Gaza Palestinian targets, the Israelis let loose with a sizable s
"How and Why Earth Will End?" - The Washington Post Sunday, March 23, 1913 What the hell? Pick your Armageddon. Check out these Gore-like whoppers from the Wapo almost a century ago: Plain Global Plun
As the Somali pirates continue to capture the world's attention and draw the ire of commercial shipping interests, the Chinese Navy has decided to send ships into the area to discourage future mischie
Yesterday James Lewis analyzed the psychopathology of Bush hatred in today's liberal mainstream media. It's a sad commentary on what passes for journalism today. We're all familiar with Bush derangeme
Is the timing of Hamas' rocket assaults a well thought out plan, or just Hamas' and Iran's dumb luck?If you're a perverse murderer who enjoys killing Jews, like Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, an
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a decree calling on Muslims worldwide to defend "the defenseless women, children and people in Gaza in any way possible.:" Supreme Leader Ayatol
According to Reuters        "We are waiting for the wounded Palestinians to cross. They are not  being allowed to cross," he told reporters. Asked who was to blame, he said:  "Ask the party in control
Controversial man made global warming debunker Christopher Booker has a piece in the Sunday Telegraph that he claims shows that 2008 was the year that man made global warming was "disproved:" Easily o
Ethel Carol notes:According to Ali Waked of YNet news reporting on the extent of damage  to the duly elected  Hamas officials and  their infrastructure in Gaza:   Earlier Saturday, Hamas interior mini
It's the end of the year and both the MSM and bloggers have begun the annual exercise in listmania - the urge to boil down the year that just past by cataloguing the top ten this or that with the best
About a month ago , I wrote a post about the kooky ideas of Russian "expert" on America Professor Igor Panarin who believes the United States is about ready to disintegrate, breaking into 6 pieces wit
I suppose its something akin to "See no evil, hear no evil..." See no war, hear no war...: “The war has gone on longer than a lot of news organizations’ ability or  appetite to cover it,” said Jane Ar
While the Arabs rage internationally that their fellow Gazans can no longer  bomb Israeli civilian areas with impunity because the Israelis have decided to  fight back and target the military infrastr
Israeli attacks continued overnight and for the third day as the air force has flown more than 300 sorties against targets in Gaza. This military action is not just a retaliatory raid. Israel apparent
While Muslim mobs rage  internationally  against Israel for defending itself against Hamas bombs from Gaza falling daily  into Israel, Egypt, which shares a border with Hamas dominated Gaza, is not  h
Being of European descent means carrying a world of guilt on your shoulders. Slavery, the decimation of the indigenous people of the New World. And in more modern times, the industrial sweatshops of t
One aspect of the Gaza operations Israel has undertook to protect its citizens from the Hamas terror regime that seems to have receives scant attention is the timeliness of the Israeli actions. They s
Silicon Alley blogger Henry Blodgett draws our attention to yet another sign of the impending financial crisis at the New York Times Company.  Two shelf-registrations, available for use sometime in th
As the paper reels from its lost revenues and diminished assets, it is being sued by a woman with whom the paper suggested Senator McCain had had an affair. From The Hill:Washington lobbyist Vicki Ise
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that disgraced Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich is set to name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the senate seat vacated when Barack Obama was elect
I have to admit to a certain degree of hypocrisy by saying that if it were just about anyone besides 9/11 truther and terrorist sympathizing Cynthia McKinney involved in this incident, I might  be ups
Governor Rod Blagojevich (Disgraced Democrat-IL) has another Congressional  seat for sale; his own representative, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) sent him  a letter that he intends to resign his House seat to be
The left suffered financial losses when major Democrat donor Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme went bust. But George Soros stands ready to help. The following email  is from MoveOn to all the Obama cells.
The latest jobs data show something good.  So watch the MSM do back-flips to make sure Bush gets none of the credit and all of the blame.Reuters announced, "Jobless claims drop by much more than expec
Blogo's appointee to the United States Senate has been hailed as an honest man, but he has served as a charcter witness for a couple of guys with Mob ties. Steve Gilbert has unearthed a report from ov
It's getting more bizarre by the hour in Illinois as the race-baiting Congressman Bobby Rush let fly another salvo at Harry Reid and the senate, comparing Democrats to George Wallace Bull Connor for "
Occasional AT contributor Dr. Walid Phares of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has an excellent overview of the conflict in Gaza where he rightly points to the influence of Iran driving H
Did you know that blubberhead Roseanne Barr has a blog?It's a marvelous place, full of all sorts of interesting tidbits that dribble out of her ears on a daily basis. Today, she trains every point of
Although Israel carefully focuses on Hamas military and terrorist infrastructure in Gaza to minimize civilian collateral damage and death, this is often impossible as Hamas has deliberately placed wea
As pressure builds on Israel in the west to stop being nasty to those peace loving Hamas terrorists, the Israeli cabinet has rejected a 48 hour cease fire proposal from the usual suspects and continue
Finally aroused from its slumber, the newly alert Security and Exchange  Committee (SEC) stopped  an  alleged Ponzi scheme  according to Reuters.  A Ponzi, or pyramid scheme operator  takes money from
Read Green Inc. by Christine MacDonald, an environmental insider. In it, the "global warming" believer acknowledges that her "good cause" has gone bad. "Social commentators have for decades criticized
Israeli president Shimon Peres gave this statement yesterday: "Nobody in this world understands what are Hamas' goals and why it continues to fire missiles,"  "This shooting has no point, no logic, an
Happy New Year. And just for another thing to celebrate, Dr. David Whitehouse, the British astronomer and former science editor of the BBC, tells us:   "'The fact is that the global temperature of 200
A US diplomat working for the Agency for International Development was shot and killed along with his driver in the Sudanese capitol of Khartoum:It was not immediately known if the attack had a politi
With all the turmoil in Pakistan, another electoral crisis taking place, this one in Kenya, has taken place under the media radar. Forces of the opposition are rioting in several cities following what
Frequent American Thinker contributor and noted terrorism expert Walid Phares has a sharp analysis of the reasons behind Benazir Bhutto's assassination as well as a detailed summary of al-Qaeda's plan
Barack Obama has moved out to a solid lead over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards while Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney have distanced themselves from the rest of the GOP field according to a new Des Moi
Conservative blogger John Hawkins has compiled a list of "The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes of 2007" and there are some real doozies in the mix.Some examples:31) "I don’t know what it’s going to take for p
According to pollster Rasmussen, the number of Americans who identify themselves as Republican has risen to a two year high:The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans jumped nea
Despite calls for the January 8 vote to go forward as scheduled by both major opposition parties, the Pakistani electoral commission has postponed parliamentary elections until next month: USA TODAY's
Post election violence in Kenya continues to escalate as tribal warfare has now broken out in the slums of major cities and a church where dozens of people were hiding to escape the violence was torch
The government of Pakistan has done an about face and now says that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was not killed when she hit her head on a sun roof lever:Caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawa
Don't quite know what to make of this. If Kucinich doesn't think he can win, what the heck is he doing in the race except fulfilling some vanity wish.But for whatever reason, there is little doubt tha
While we were enjoying New Year's day on Wednesday Iran hanged 13 convicted criminals on Wednesday, including the mother of two young children who had been found guilty of murdering her husband after
Slice 'O Nonsenseby digbyAllegedly, Pizza Hut held a telephone poll in Iowa to determine certain important facts about how Iowans perceive the candidates' pizza eating habits.  FWIW (nothing) here are
Mitt Romney Is A National Embarassmentby tristeroMan, Romney makes me ashamed of my country:"We'll try and represent ourselves and our nation well also to our kids because I think, I think kids watch
St. John And The Big Money Boyzby digbyBack in 2004, John McCain made a tepid complaint when the Swiftboat liars went after John Kerry.  This time he's taking as much money from them as he can. in fac
Actually, It's Not That Hardby tristeroGlenn Greenwald:Both legally and politically, it's hard to imagine a more significant scandal than the President and Vice President deliberately obstructing the
Click And Munch Timeby tristeroYesterday, I saw Denzel Washington's excellent new film, The Great Debaters, the inspiring story of a debating team from a tiny black college in Texas in 1935. There is
Strange Daysby tristeroBack in '04, right around the time Judge Roy Moore was forced off the bench during the Ten Commandments nonsense, there were rumors he would run for president on a third party.
Babelphishby digbyI get a lot of anti-Clinton e-mail for some reason, but this is one of the weirdest I've gotten yet:RE: The immediate Clinton-FBI punishment for sending the information to Iowa voter
Firing Timeby tristeroVia Glenn comes news about the goddammed spoiled brats we have for a press corps:Washington: I just read on The Post's Trail page that Clinton dropped by the press bus to drop of
This Shit Is Really Importantby ddayIt's great fun to slag on the fact-free media and slag on the small sliver of Iowans that will actually participate tonight and slag on this crazy process that has
Horse Race Tradingby digbyJane Hamsher is doing some fun reporting from Iowa,  sharing all the rumors about strategy and tactics she's getting on the ground.  Apparently, there's one rumor that the Cl
Resurgentby digbyI know that The Man Called Petraeus has single handedly won the war in Iraq and brought paece in the middle east and all, but there does seem to be a teeny tiny little problem.Here's
Pakistanby tristeroFlynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett contribute a blunt overview of Pakistan/Afghanistan in the wake of Bhutto's murder. Short version: it's even worse than the pessimists are s
The Real Dealby digbyGreenwald catalogs all the media's frenzied premature proclamations of Huckabee's demise noting that despite a series of gaffes the gasbags assumed were fatal, Huck had no problem
John McCain Won Big Among People Who Voted For John McCain!by ddayWell, from my caucus watch party-eye's view it seemed to me that it wouldn't be possible to spin the win for McCain after such a decis
Strange Days, Take Twoby tristeroApparently, the point of this post was unclear. Numerous commenters responded with something like "Huckabee has zero chance of winning in November. Therefore, tristero
Saturday Night At The MoviesOf bedpans and BrechtBy Dennis HartleyJesus, this little weekly post is starting to look like the Philip Seymour Hoffman fan boy page as of late. It’s not by design; it’s j
Losing Their Lunchby ddayWe all know about the conservative establishment crackup over Mike Huckabee's prominence in the GOP nomination, and it's hilarious.  But running parallel to that is a real cra
Make It Soby digbyEugene Robinson goes out among the natives and brings back some important data:In Washington, it is conventionally wise to think of government gridlock as basically a good thing, eve
Schadenfreude Is A Sinful Emotionby tristeroBut oh is it delightful. Scaife's money is responsible for so much evil in this country - millions of dollars spent sliming the Clintons, encouraging the Vi
Huckabee Tells The Truth...by tristeroand the Times thinks he's joking:Speaking to reporters on the flight from Iowa, he mused about strategies that might help him translate his Christian conservative
Partisan Bickeringby digbyVia the Sideshow and C&LMore about partisan bickering here, here and here.Update:  I'm getting tired of constantly being accused by Obama supporters of trying to hurt him if
Compromising Blowhardsby digbySo, I hear that Bush dog Democrat Dan Boren of Oklahoma is supporting Huckabee's regressive fair tax.  I can't say that surprises me. Being a vacuous blowhard evidently r
Remaking The Blogosphere In Their Own Imageby tristeroThere is only one possible reason why Time provides this idiot with an opportunity to blog. And that is to provide other Time pundits with conveni
Golden Girl In Bootsby digbyMolly Ivors worked Maureen Dowd over as she deserved for her rude condescension toward the so-called "Golden Girls" who support Hillary. (Be sure to click through for the g
Playing The Wrong Clipby ddayI know the big story today is that a sleep-deprived Hillary Clinton, under the kind of pressure that really only people who have run for President understand, actually sho
Busharrafby ddayDick Cheney's man in Islamabad on Benazir Bhutto's death:The night of the assassination, Musharraf believes Bhutto broke a basic rule of security in a crowded charged political rally:
By The Time They Got To Wankstockby digbyFollowing up on D-Day's post below, may I just reiterate how predictable it is that the Bloomer Wankstock has now decided to insist that the candidates "renoun
3 Days of Peace, Love and Bipartisanshipby ddayToday begins the event history will record as Wankstock, where old men and older men from all over the country will get together at the University of Okl
Bill Kristol Could Use A Nannyby tristeroAs expected, Billy's column is pure propaganda and nothing else. It makes a useful contrast to Krugman's, which the Times in its wisdom is running on the same
Ain't No Hollaback Girlby digbyWell, it looks like the beeyotch is back and we have a race on our hands. And say what you will, it's a helluva upset from what we thought was happening just this mornin
I Fucking Love Rachel MaddowLet me start by replaying my comment from the other thread:If it's true that the "tears" speech helped Clinton (and I'm not totally certain), then that would be tremendous
The Winner of the 2008 Election...by dday...must be we the people.People are justifiably excited by the high turnout in New Hampshire, following the record turnout in Iowa, which portends a record tur
Give Peace A Chanceby digbyRoy Edroso points to an hilarious Wall Street Journal editorial which says that all this hope that Obama is offering is unnecessary because in a country where poor people ca
Courting Republicansby digbyWhile we're waiting to find out what happens in New Hampshire today, we might want to think about something equally (if not more) profound that will happen tomorrow in Wash
Memories of Wankstockby ddayI'm kicking myself for only catching about 10 minutes of the Wankstock conference on C-SPAN.  I was disappointed to see Bob Graham there; I always thought he was better tha
Push It A Littleby digbyThe progressive phone network, Working Assets, has put together a petition that's worth signing. There is a moment here, where the media has egg on its face after wrongly calli
Meanwhile, On The Courtby ddayTwo major Supreme Court cases have been heard this week, and on each of them, it does not appear that the side of justice and the Constitution will be victorious.  In the
Let's Hope Notby digbyCan I just say how skeptical I am that the Bradley Effect was a factor in yesterday's primary?  I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but the modern Democratic party showed nearly 25
The Tweety Effect And Other Thingsby digbyFrom John Judis at TNR:Here are the groups in which Obama enjoyed a significant margin over Clinton: men, young voters (18-24), voters making more than $50,00
Here's that Rachel Maddow moment by dday...that I mentioned last night:Brilliant.  You can hear the anger in Tweety's voice.Markos:The more she's attacked on personal grounds, the more sympathy that r
A Mighty Howlby tristeroBob Somerbyy is a treasure. Oh yes, Bob's howled at me on occasion. I've never taken it personally (and he's also said some kind things). Or rather, I've always taken it person
Things That Make You Go Hmm...by tristeroWall Street Journal January 8, 2008 :"Over the past 12 months, U.S. troops in Iraq have risen every day and gone to work, dangerous work, implementing Gen. Dav
Tweety's New Memeby digbyMatthews flogged the Bradley Effect yesterday like he'd just discovered gold ... in his pants. Among other panels with whom he blathered on endlessly on the topic, he had Pat
Straits of Tonkinby ddayAfter a few days of scrutiny, the Straits of Hormuz "incident" with Iranian gunships is completely falling apart.  Not for the President - he's still using it as a scaremongeri
Her Own Favorite Theoryby tristeroGail Collins thinks she's solved the profound mystery of why Clinton won in New Hampshire:My own favorite theory is that this week, Hillary was a stand-in for every w
Jack Booted Pacifistsby digbyAlex Koppleman interviewed Jonah Goldberg about his Book "Liberal Fascism" and I was struck by this assertion:What appealed to the Progressives about militarism was what W
Hardball Freakshowby digbyHe just can't help himself.  Raw Story has the latest on Matthews (w/video):"Let’s not forget, and I’ll be brutal, the reason she’s a US Senator, the reason she’s a candidate
Close Guantanamoby digbyIf you've been tooling around the blogosphere today you may have noticed that the ACLU is sponsoring "Close Guantanamo Day."  You can find out more about it by clicking the ad
The Choices We Haveby ddaySo yesterday, we learned that the phone companies are so committed to helping the Bush Adminstration defeat the enemies of freedom that they would only cut off illegal wireta
Full Circleby dday“Go back to bed, America, your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed America, your government is in control. Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this,
Huckabee On Evolutionby tristeroHere's Mike Huckabee lying about his views on evolution: Huckabee said he has no problem with teaching evolution as a theory in the public schools and he doesn't expect
Saturday Night At The MoviesOut here in the fieldsBy Dennis HartleyIn the audacious opening shot of his magnificent, sprawling, demented epic, “There Will Be Blood”, director P.T. Anderson presents us
Bipartisanship Observedby ddayThe dissolving of Unity08 (what am I going to do with all my political capital points now?) and folding it into a Draft Bloomberg movement is just so revealing.  The idea
Things They Do Look Awful Coldby digbyPew has released a study of the so-called Generation Next, the 18-25 year olds and it's very good for Democrats:In their political outlook, they are the most tole
Huckabee And The Murderer: The Mother Of A Victim Speaks.by tristeroPlease watch the following poignant short video:There is a crucial question the video does not address: Why did Huckabee work to rel
Myth of Progress Grows Mythierby ddaySo I read the news reports of Iraq passing a change to its de-Baathification law with interest.  It appeared to come out of nowhere.  The Iraqi Parliament was off
Reporter, Heal Thyselfby digbyIn case you missed it, here's a mea culpa from the Politico for their lousy coverage of the campaign so far.A few observations.  First they admit that the blogs they read
The Not-So-Innocent Abroadby ddayWith the "Filipino Monkey" story starting to hit the major press, the Administration's credibility on this Straits of Hormuz incident is lessening even further.  It's
There's More Than The Big Showby digbyJane says, "raise your hand if you're sick of the presidentials" and offers up some positive political action we can all take:Markos  has announced an ambitious g
More and Better Democratsby ddayTwo very big Congressional primaries on the Democratic side are happening in the next few weeks, and the progressive movement should arguably be more concerned with the
Hot Politicsby digbyI don't know what the significance of this is, but I thought you might find it interesting. Try not to picture this too literally:   The Politics of Sex    Playboy magazine conduct
Just Shoot Meby digbyJesus Jump Up Christ.  Matthews, Olbermann, Norah O'Donnell and David Gregory are sitting around interpreting the Michigan Democratic vote and examining the exit polls to determin
The Crat Packby digbyI just had the weirdest thought watching the Las Vegas debate. The three remaining candidates all more or less agree with one another on policy, are all superstars in their own ri
Recession Cheerleadersby ddayWith Unity 08 morphing into Bloomity 08, with a grassroots movement transformed into an astroturf movement (and the ground is lined with Bloomberg's $1,000 dollar bills),
Huck Goes All Inby digby"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitu
Close The Cage Doorsby digbyC&L has been following the story about the Kansas Republican chairman who boasted publicly and proudly that he's been "caging" voters and makes a good observation:All kiddi
Our Man In Baghdadby ddayEarlier today I wrote about the comments from the Iraqi defense minister Abdul Qadir, who claimed that a US presence would be needed in Iraq until 2018 at the earliest.  Swopa
The Right Thingby digbyFor several years, I featured a 1998 speech by Bill Clinton to commemorate Martin Luther King Day. In 2005, I wrote this, and in the spirit of Democratic unity I'll humbly offer
Iraq 3000by ddayI'm sorry, the Iraqi defense minister is shooting low.  Surely we can spend the whole millennium kicking down doors in Baghdad if we just put our minds to it?The Iraqi defense minister
Bogus Neutralityby tristeroThere are times when neutrality is reasonable. And neutrality does not necessarily imply a lack of judgment or indecision. And sometimes, neutrality is appropriate in the fa
You Sir, Are No Ronald Reaganby digby... and thank God for that.I'm a bit baffled by this statement by Senator Obama:"I  think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nix
Affinity For Stupidityby digbyThey can't let it go.  Jane Hamsher highlights another bozo implying that there's something wrong with appealing to female voters: And here we go again.  Tim Dickinson, e
They've Really Come Full Circleby ddayI'm sitting here watching the Tweety Show and in between plugs for his Tonight Show appearance, he's brought on Stephen A. Smith.  Who is a sportswriter.  Not som
You Can't Say They Don't Care About The Environmentby ddayReduce, reuse, recycle.Yesterday’s midnight filing by the White House in CREW v. Executive Office of the President, a lawsuit challenging the
Cause And Effect, Perhaps?by tristero Summarizing a report  from the oversight agency for the National Science Foundation, the New York Times writes,The United States remains the world leader in scien
Supporting The Troopsby digby... for a price.Say did you know that these wealthy ex-generals expect to get paid to use their name for veterans charity? Apparently they do:Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy
Message Guruby digbyWell, sadly, it appears that it's not good enough that the Reagan myth is being stoked in a Democratic primary. It looks like we're going all in and adopting George W. Bush rhetori
The Right To Voteby ddayPatrick Leahy just endorsed Barack Obama, and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee had this to say about this flap over the "at-large" precincts in Nevada being set u
Leading The Village By Their Collective Snoutsby tristeroLike Digby,  I am puzzled - and appalled - by Obama invoking Reagan as some kind of icon of positve change. It's like an aspiring surgeon sayin
Game Changing Strategyby digbySo, I see that Edwards and Clinton are jumping hard on Senator Obama's Reagan comments and Obama supporters seem to think it's below the belt. (I think it's entirely to b
The Big Dog In North Las Vegasby ddaySo we're in the Obama press area awaiting his arrival (in about an hour, I'm told).  We just got back from a Bill Clinton event in North Las Vegas at a local YMCA.
On The Ground In Vegasby ddayWe just arrived on the Strip about 20 minutes ago.  We'll be at campaign events for Obama and Clinton tonight, and out at the caucus sites tomorrow (Mittens Romney will be
Huckabee The Extremistby tristeroJust as I suspected, Michael Huckabee has close ties to Christian Reconstruction, the far right theocrats whose ideas I blogged about  during last year's Blog Against
Saturday Night At The MoviesWriter’s blockBy Dennis HartleyAs the rerun hell spawned by the Writer’s Guild strike grinds on, morphing Leno and Stewart back into flop-sweating open-mike comics and glit
Everybody Winsby digbyHey guys, get a grip, relax, have a drink and play some blackjack:Obama actually won Nevada (or not)*Barack Obama may have won the most delegates in Saturday's Nevada Caucus, eve
Fear & Loathing On The Campaign Trail In Las Vegasby ddayI'm still actually trying to process what I saw today.  I attended the at-large caucus at the Wynn Hotel and Casino.  Suffice to say (for now)
Martian Observerby digbySomebody give David Shuster a bib, because with the way he's fluffing Matthews right now he's going to need it.Shuster: I love listening to you analyze politics, Chris...Here's
They Know Betterby digbyEzra Klein documents another example of your puerile political press corps deciding who you are allowed to vote for:I find the purity of my dislike for Mitt Romney is basically
MSNBC Brain Damageby digbySo Joe Scarborough and the boys were all up in arms yesterday morning that Chris Matthews had to apologize for one teeny tiny little gaffe about Hillary Clinton:SCARBOROUGH:
The Trapby ddayHaving now covered the campaigns for a full day, I completely see why our political media is as dysfunctional as it is.  You're shuffled from one event to another.  You watch speeches a
Are Democrats over 45 Racists?by digbyApparently, some people think so.  Here's a headline on CBS:Obama's Age Gap: Is It Race?CBS's Dick Meyer Says Older Americans Have So Far Proven Unwilling To Vote
Las Vegas And Its Discontentsby ddaySo there were two big charges coming from the Obama campaign out of Nevada: that there were numerous incidents of voter suppression and intimidation at the local pr
Sharpening Their Shivsby digbyI'm sure a lot of people enjoyed this when they read it:Prominent Democrats are upset with the aggressive role that Bill Clinton is playing in the 2008 campaign, a role t
Ronnie JiuJitsuby digbyFollowing up on Tristero's post below where he says that nobody who openly criticized Reagan would be taken seriously by the Very Serious People who decide who's allowed in the
The Maverick's Historyby ddayJust to add on to Digby's post about the true history of the conservative movement with respect to MLK, it should be noted that one of the two candidates most likely to ge
True Historyby digbyOn this particular Martin Luther King day, Rick Perlstein's piece from last year is an important and timely reminder:Day of Reckoning Conservatives still don't get Martin Luther Ki
Krugman And The Rhetoric Of Obama/Reaganby tristeroWhile utterly appalled by them, I've argued that Obama must have had his reasons for his vague remarks in praise of Reagan. I speculated that they we
Endorse Thisby digbyI hate meta-bloggy discussions with a passion and rarely indulge in them, but because I turned off my comments to cool the rhetoric a little, others in the blogosphere are commenti
Just Six More Months Please by ddayDavid Petraeus is bucking for a column in the New York Times.We think we won’t know that we’ve reached a turning point until we’re six months past it. We have repeat
Dave Neiwert Hits A High Pointby tristeroImagine if you will, an Oxford don writing a serious, carefully-researched 60-plus page critique of the lyrics to the old Batman TV theme. For those of you too
Da Manby digbyHey, here's a treat to read on a cold winter's night: a profile of our brilliant pal Rick Perlstein in The Chicago Reader:In Before the Storm, the 2001 history that made his reputation,
Yuk[s] Factorby digbyIt's a little bit rusty, hasn't been out for a spin since 2004, and needs a few springs and belts replaced.  But the old machine looks like it's up and running.The Muck is featuri
Putting His Foot Downby digbySo here's Greenwald with the latest on the FISA kabuki, and this time it's so clunky and obvious  it's more like a bunch of drunk college kids singing karaoke on platform
Reading Progressive Blogs Is Like Going In A Time Machineby dday...as Kagro X often says.  The "news" doesn't catch up until a week or so later.More than a dozen Iraqi lawmakers, U.S. officials and fo
An Impenetrable Dinby tristeroIt's official: Bush lied.A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements
It's Baaackby digbyIt looks like we're going to party like it's 2002.  Again. An unnecessary national security vote is being forced down the throat of a Democratic congress by the otherwise totally ob
Speaking Of Radical Centristsby digbyMayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City intensified his attacks on the political leadership here on Wednesday, pointing to what he called the government’s fail
Media Matters notes this conversation from this morning, which, for obvious reasons, I can relate to:  BRZEZINSKI: Well, [Mike] Barnicle and then Craig, we want you to chime in. Here's Bill Clinton on
Radical Centristsby ddayUh-oh.  Anyone who thinks that a positive agenda for the nation will simply be realized by the election of a Democratic President or even substantial gains to the majority in C
Good Faithby ddayIt doesn't look like any of the amendments to the FISA bill have the votes to pass, even on a majority vote (but call your Senators anyway!).  The only one that appears to have a chan
Telcom Buddy Systemby digbyThey're debating FISA on C-SPAN right now. Kit Bond, one of the biggest neanderthals in the Senate, is telling America that they should trust the intelligence committee to p
Pecksniffian Twitby digbyPeggy Noonan:There are many serious and thoughtful liberals and Democrats who support Mr. Obama and John Edwards, and who are seeing Mr. Clinton in a new way and saying so. He
Straight Talkby ddayThere were several moments in last night's Republican debate that you may see in November.  Mike Huckabee saying that Iraq hid their WMD in Jordan, a US ally, is an example.  But f
This Is Not That Rough A Democratic Primaryby ddayIn 1992, Bill Clinton started running negative ads against Paul Tsongas and Bob Kerrey in New Hampshire.  The Republicans this year have been running
They Are One Entityby digbyYou all remember Grover Norquist's Reagan Legacy Project? Well, here's the Bush Legacy Project, brought to you by some smart progressives who have learned that if you don't
Saturday Night At the MoviesDivine Trash, Hidden Jewels-Part 5By Dennis HartleyThis week I am continuing a series that I am posting on occasion, spotlighting some films you may have missed, and that y
Winning Largeby digbyCongratulations to Senator Obama! He has won South Carolina in a landslide and with 24% of white voters to boot.  I think that should put to rest the idea that he has somehow beco
Dragonslayerby digbyBlue America is endorsing Alan Grayson of Orlando Florida for congress today.  This guy is an exciting candidate, a real personality and he comes with a very important portfolio.
Stepping Upby digbyFiredoglake reports that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are going to be in the Senate tomorrow to vote no on cloture on the FISA bill. Ari Melber at The Nation explains what
Rudy No Goby digbyI've seen some spectacular political flameouts in my day, but this is one for the books:Ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani took a further hit on Sunday, when a poll showed he dropped to
White Flagby digbyclammyc over at Dkos discusses this mindblowing article in today's Boston Globe about what's going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  As he wryly observes, it's not as exciting as watc
The New Field Frontierby digbyOne of the most interesting things about this primary race is something that nobody's talking about, but it's hugely important and may make the difference come November.M
Pillaging Every Last Pennyby digbyThe president must have dropped a page or two of his speech tonight because he didn't mention this at all:While thousands of Mississippians who lost their homes to Hu
Game Of Chickenby digbySo the good news is that the Democrats more or less hung together today on cloture and successfully filibustered the lousy Senate Intelligence FISA bill. However, the outcome of
Forgive and Forgetby digbyIn case anyone wonders why so many people don't respect Democrats, here's a perfect example.  From K-Drum:Former California governor Gray Davis, who was taken out to the wood
The State Of Our Unionby ddayI'm going to miss tonight's State of the Union address, but I don't think I'll be missing much.  It'll be the same propaganda on low taxes and "good progress" in Iraq that
Rally 'Round The Flagby ddayThis may be a little thing, but signs that a war where Americans are still dying is intractable doesn't seem to me to be that little.Officials in Iraq's mostly Sunni Muslim
Laying Landminesby digbyDday wrote about Bush pulling out his trusty pen earlier today and issuing yet another signing statement, this time saying the congress has no right to tell the president he ca
Silly Votersby digbyRegardless of whether you like Clinton or Obama, does anyone think it's a good idea for MSNBC to be rude, snide and dismissive about more than a million and a half Democratic voter
The Planby digbyI have no idea if Bloomberg will get into the race, but it's quite obvious that he is seriously considering it.  This article in this week's NY magazine is a fascinating profile of his
Florida Watchin'by ddayMost of the polls have closed in Florida (the Panhandle is in a different time zone, so they close at about 8pm ET).  So far the Republican race is as close as can be, within ab
Whatever Happened To "We Do Not Torture"?by ddayJohn Negroponte, the King of All Salvadoran Death Squads, spills the beans and says the obvious.Negroponte: I get concerned that we're too retrospective
Iraq 4-Everby ddayWhen Bush vetoed the Defense Authorization Bill because he was so concerned about this abstract issue of reparations for those who were tortured and killed at the hands of Saddam Hus
It Depends On What The Definition Of Conscience Isby digbyRemember this?Whether they voted for Mukasey or not, Democrats widely want him to examine the interrogation tactic designed to make the subjec
The Legitimate Change That Should Come From This Primaryby ddayI want to thank Senator Edwards for running a tremendous campaign.  He moved the policy in a progressive direction and matured far more t
Debate Threadby ddaySince I wasn't actually allowed to get into the spin room until I name-checked Hullabaloo (yes, Digby, I'm throwing your name all over town), I feel obligated to check in.  I'm at
The Long Warby digbyI'm taking a lot of criticism lately for fighting old wars and refusing to see that we are on the cusp of major change and that the Republicans  are old news. I actually fervently
But They Have Editors!by ddayLooks like we're going to hear about this zombie lie for a long, long time.  Jake Tapper ran an insipid article where he claimed that Bill Clinton said "We just have to sl
Shortcutsby digbySmall investment, big reward:       Reported today on Akhbar Alkhaleej newspaper [link updated]   An Iraqi MP preferred to remain anonymous told the newspaper that highly confidential
Obama At LA Trade Technical Collegeby ddayHey all.  Sitting here in the spin room at the Kodak Theater prior to tonight's Democratic debate.  The place is kind of swamped with media, and I guess Blitz
Losing Mittensby digbyI can't tell you how odd it was to be watching the Romney people being worked over by the McCain fanboy club on MSNBC last night.  It's a rare occasion when a Republican is as op
Suicide Watchby ddayWe can now put a number on it, the next President is most likely to have 130,000 troops in Iraq on Inauguration Day. Senior U.S. military commanders here say they want to freeze tr
Boo Hooby digbyNow we're having some fun:A defensive Rush Limbaugh, one of Senator McCain's biggest detractors, just delivered what he called a "non-concession speech" in response to Mr. McCain's win
Just Shut Up We're Winningby ddayAs it turns out, the myth of progress in Iraq is starting to wither, even on the terms of those who celebrate the surge.  I'm talking about security gains, which up to
Saturday Night At The MoviesPre-game movie marathonBy Dennis HartleyThis being Super Bowl weekend and all, I figured this would be as good a time as any to trot out my top ten favorite sports films (a
Ronnie's Playbookby digbyI don't know if your gorge rose like mine did as you watched the Republicans deify Ronald Reagan the other night, but this piece by Michael Kinsley today speaks to the absurdi
Dear Nick Kristofby tristeroDear Nick Kristof,You write:At a New York or Los Angeles cocktail party, few would dare make a pejorative comment about Barack Obama’s race or Hillary Clinton’s sex. Yet it
I Know, Let's Make Voting Harderby ddayI've been doing a lot of reporting from the ground in California for Calitics.  My sense is that Clinton probably (though not definitely) has enough banking of e
The Beatles Of Bloggingby digbyI can't tell you how delightful it is for me to exhort you to donate to Atrios's fundraising drive today after all the years he's so generously supported mine.  He's my
The Lovers And The Fightersby digbyI have often thought that the two parties could be described as two fundamental archetypes: The Lovers vs The Fighters. I don't mean that pejoratively in either sens
Fiscal Conservatismby ddayThis is the equivalent of Led Zeppelin setting fire to the hotel by pouring whiskey all over it.  Bush wants to leave by trashing the place.President Bush unveiled a $3.1 tri
Savvy Political Behaviorby digbyHere's an interesting analysis from reader Joe:While the networks focus on demographic explanations (white-black, man-woman), I think there is a case to made now that t
Voters Like These Candidatesby ddayThis nugget from the CNN exit polls is an important point:There's no doubt Democrats are torn between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But the early exit polls show
Exit Pollsby digbyHere are a few of the details release about the exit polls today.  The early numbers are floating around, but anybody who was around in 2004 knows that it's a mistake to get too exci
It's Not Personal, Mac. It's Strictly Businessby digbyFollowing up on dday's post below, can I also say how much fun it is to watch the conservatives have a hissy fit over their own, even if it's at l
Movement v. McCain?by ddayI've collected a bunch of articles over the past few days about John McCain and whether he will be able to reconcile the conservative coalition and unite the party.  Generall
All hail Bipartisanshipby digbySo, I just got a call from Rick Perlstein who is voting at the same precinct as Barack Obama in Chicago, where there is a ton of press, as you might imagine.  He noticed
Conversion Storiesby digbyAs we all wait for the returns today from what is undoubtedly the most exciting, nail biter of a Super Tuesday ever, I thought I'd offer up some articles I've come across abo
There Can Never Be Wasteful Defense Spendingby ddayYeah, I know, there's an election or something today.  But first, I have a little thing to get to, like, you know, the unabated rise of the defense-i
Twister Wreckageby digbyAs we are all digging deep to fund candidates today, maybe we can throw a couple of bucks this way too: Whilst we're waiting for George's Promised Prayers to roll in, down here
Still Not Making Troubleby digbyClammyc at Dkos puts this whole sad congressional session into context and it isn't a pretty sight.  Reid allowed subpoenas to be ignored by administration members and
I'm John McCain And I Approved Killing This Polar Bear And Sending That Poor Person Ou t Into The Streetby ddaySo the Senate, not known for its boldness or its speed, got together and stood up for som
Green Lightby digbyNow it makes sense.  Mukasey told us a week ago that waterboarding wasn't actually torture because it depended on who did it and what the circumstances were. Yesterday, in the midst
Scrubbing Maureenby digbyBob Somerby and Molly Ivors take Maureen Dowd to task for her deeply depraved column today so I won't belabor the point here.  Go read them both.  It doesn't matter whether yo
Go Howardby ddayFrom a DNC email:How we'll beat John McCainMike Huckabee and Mitt Romney are done. John McCain will be the Republican nominee -- he's the only one with a reasonable path to the nominat
High School Psychodramaby digbyWatching the returns last night I was once again struck by the rank lack of professionalism and complete abdication of journalistic ethics on MSNBC. I noted in my early
Not Having Itby digbyFrom the comment threads:Digby: "I'm not talking about legitimate, passionate political discussion. This is about personal attacks and drive-by character assassination."digby,i've
If The President Does It, Then It's Not Illegalby ddayMike Mukasey, Attorney General of the United States, before the House Judiciary Committee today. (UPDATE: This is a paraphrase, not a transcript)D
Shockingby digbyIn his withdrawal speech, Romney said:"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Sen
They Will Not Stopby digbyWhat K-Drum said:Now, it's obvious that everyone believes a stimulus bill of some kind is a good idea (the House bill passed nearly unanimously), so it's not as if anyone vot
Re-Branding Tortureby ddayA couple weeks ago, John Negroponte blurted out that America has used the practice of waterboarding, but only a few times.  The admission of a torture technique dating back t
Outsourcing Immoralityby digbyIn the midst of our obsession with primary politics this week, we've also been trying to follow the latest revelations in the torture debate. (I can still hardly believe
Here We Go Againby digbyI have taken a fair amount of grief for criticizing the campaign coverage on MSNBC over the past few months, most recently for what I saw as pretty obviously biased coverage on
Saturday Night At The MoviesFunny about LoveBy Dennis HartleyWith Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought that I would share my top ten favorite romantic comedies with you this week. So in no particula
Moderate Maverickby digbyI keep hearing that John McCain is a great hero on the issue of torture.  One would certainly think he would be, seeing as he was himself a victim of it. But it's nonsense.Her
Informants R Usby digbySpeaking of contractors:"At its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector," the InfraGard website states. "
New Rulesby digbyThere is a lot of sturm and drang about this idea of superdelegates deciding the election, with people like Donna Brazile threatening to quit the party if they do.  Here's Chris Bower
Marin Alsopby tristeroLast night I heard my friend Marin Alsop conduct the Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall in a program of Strauss, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Mackey. There were two remarkable thing
Evidence From Torture Now Admissable, Apparentlyby ddayThere's absolutely no way that you can credibly charge Khalid Sheikh Mohammed with anything related to the September 11 attacks without using the
Animatronic Presidentby digbyBeavis weighs in on the election:...this morning on Fox, President Bush himself echoed the attack, adding the (also familiar) hint that we don't know enough about Obama."I
This Just In: Bush Administration Screwed Up Iraq War Planningby tristeroIt looks like that far left think tank known as  the RAND Corporation ruffled a few feathers at the Pentagon:After 18 months of
A Nicer Birthday Presentby ddayWith all the sturm und drang I've brought here the last couple days, I have to at least try and change the tone and inject a little optimism.  Voters in Maryland's 4th C
Raped And In Legal Limboby ddayI interrupt the usual campaign gloating and trash talking and pie fighting to bring you a disturbing and important story of the consequences of unrivaled corporate power
Thanks Democratic Senateby ddayThe Senate passed the final version of the piece o' crap Intelligence Committee's FISA bill by a count of 68-29.  There are only 29 Senators who care at all about civil
Another Country Heard Fromby ddayIf the debate over torture ever gets appealed to the highest court in the land, it's going to go through intellects like this:The most outspoken judge on the US Suprem
Depends On If Legal Means Legalby digbySo, the congress surrendered on FISA, which is hardly a shock.  (Sorry for being so cynical, but it was clear that Reid intended immunity to pass from the minute
The Full-Court Pressby ddayAfter yesteday's unfortunate sellout in the Senate, all the elements of the right wing are out for blood and ready to finally tear out the Fourth Amendment to the Constituti
Big Nightby digbyWow, what a night. Congratulations to Senator Obama who has been rolling through these races like a bulldozer. And special congratulations to netroots candidate Donna Edwards who just
A Good Day To Be An Americanby ddayToday's action by the Republicans, to force an obstructionist vote in the middle of the Capitol memorial service for the late Tom Lantos, was truly reprehensible, bu
Democracy And Democratsby digbyI am certainly on board with the idea that the rule which states that superdelegates can vote any way they choose is undemocratic. But it's just a bureaucratic regulatio
Wahhhh, Wahhhh, Wahhhhby ddayThe President had another temper tantrum like a little girl child (it was not my intention to use "girl" as a pejorative, I humbly apologize) wanting to leave the mall wit
Partisan Chin Musicby digbyI don't know how many people watched those dreadful steroids hearings this week, but Waxman himself says now that he thinks they were a mistake. (He claims that he was given
Authentic Jackassby digby"You know he's saying exactly what he thinks -- that's the whole trick. You know it's coming straight from his gut. That's what his appeal has always been."Can someone explain
Most Dangerous Trouble Spot In The World Updateby ddaySo Joe Biden, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel are headed to Pakistan to observe Monday's elections.  Surely the dictator who suspended the Constitution
Plot From An 80s Filmby ddayIn a world, where a runaway satellite is hurtling toward Earth, one man has one shot at history.  Trapped between deceit and desire, can he realize his dream, or spawn a ni
Saturday Night At The MoviesBlues for CeausescuBy Dennis HartleyThere was a great film that came out four years ago called  Maria Full of GraceThe story was a simple, straightforward narrative about a
The Great Rationalizerby ddayThis BBC interview with George W. Bush is truly amazing.  He should put it on display at his future Presidential library (where it can stand in for all the missing books).
The Craftiness Of The Rightby tristeroIn early 2005 BuzzFlash posted an article by Drs. Neil Wollman and Abigail A. Fuller entitled "How Does Right-Wing Media Craft Its Message?" I wrote to them and,
Run For Your Livesby digbyIs everyone shivering with fear today waiting for airplanes to fly into their beds? Yes,  it's true.  You are all as unprotected as little babes, now that the Protect America
Just Another Post-Partisan Monarchby ddayOr perhaps, just another spoiled little rich man who is disinterested in complying with the rule of law:Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg invoked a rarely used power
The World's Best Pandererby tristeroOriginally, the title to this post was an obscene play on words, the topic being how much Nick Kristof enjoys ingesting the products of John McCain's totally bent s
Whoops!by ddayHere's a little more on that e.coli conservatism I was talking about.  In this case it's the FDA, apparently indistinguishable from the Keystone Kops.The Chinese facility that supplies t
Spinning Away The Shamelessnessby ddayNick Kristof is being a moron here, but there's a serious subtext to it.  If John McCain can keep taking multiple positions on issues, or say one thing and do ano
For More Of The Same, Vote McCainby tristero[UPDATE: Ht to mm123161 in comments for the much better title.]In a silly article, written as if McCain had already been anointed by Bush's dad King of all
E. Coli Conservatismby ddayBy now you've heard about the 134 million pound recall of beef, after a Humane Society video showed employees at a slaughterhouse abusing downer cows and forcing them into t
The Passion Of St. Johnby tristeroWhat turns John McCain on? Judges so reality-challenged they think the New Deal was Leninism:[Janice Rogers Brown's] speeches given to the Federalist Society and the
Obamamentumby digbyCongratulations to Senator Obama for a big win tonight in Wisconsin! He is making huge inroads into Clinton's base of support among women and high school educated, lower income vote
They Aren't Democratsby digbyThere has been a lot of discussion, as usual, as to whether the Democrats can finally get back those Reagan Democrats we've been desperately trying to woo for the past 28
Democracy Part IIby digbyNow we're talking:Early voting starts today in Texas.  In Waller County, a primarily rural county about 60 miles outside Houston, the county made the decision to offer only on
Democracyby digbyI just heard Bush give one of his officious lectures about democracy with the news that Castro is stepping down. He said that he expects the Cubans to hold free and fair elections ---
The 2008 Election Just Turnedby ddayThree major developments globally have the potential to really change the dynamic in the Presidential election.  Fidel Castro's resignation, the declaration of inde
Arrogance Expressby digbyBack in the 2000 campaign when St John the Flyboy was every journalist's favorite pol, a story emerged about him major sending letters on behalf of a contributor, Paxson Commu
The Sloopholeby ddayI need your help.I know this is a national blog and my work at California's progressive site Calitics doesn't usually apply.  But if we don't fight back against this stuff in the s
MSNBC No Evilby digbyApparently MSNBC's agenda is to be as obnoxious as possible at least half the time.Yesterday, we had two examples of jackass style "journalism" starting with Tucker Carlson, whose
On The Cultby digbyIt was only a matter of time before the media began to trivialize Obama and his campaign as a bunch of latte sipping left-wing hippie elites. That's the 30 year conservative rap on
The (Republican) Lost Weekendby ddaySo the latest on the FISA bill is this: the House and Senate were supposed to meet today to begin the compromise of the RESTORE Act, which has no telecom amnesty, a
Well I Neverby digbyI'm watching Tweety, Barnicle and the rest of the gang wring their little lace hankies over how terrible it is that the NY Times ran a story with innuendos about McCain's personal
John Weaver Is Not Jane Doeby ddayApparently, the talking point that the broadcast media all settled on today is that the McCain/Vicki Iseman story is irresponsible because it's based entirely on unna
The Go To Guyby digbyI'm probably less interested in the sex angle on the McCain story than some because I'm just generally not inclined to go there unless someone's been evoking family values every f
A Cult, You Say?by ddayThis "Obama is a cult" thing is starting to fly around in the media, and yet things like this go virtually unnoticed:Few visitors will venture far from the usual sites to see a
Legsby ddayBud Paxson has now officially contradicted St. Maverick on his blanket statement that he never met with the broadcasting mogul, which of course was already contradicted by John McCain himse
TV Alertby ddayThey buried it on the same night as the Oscars, but 60 Minutes will be airing the Don Siegelman story on Sunday.  Siegelman, the Democratic former governor of Alabama, is sitting in a j
Maverick At War With Himselfby digbyDavid Brooks finally writes about something on which he actually is an authority (unlike, say, the buying habits of red state America) namely, John McCain. Brooks,
It Gets Worse For McCainby ddayIt's not the sex, it's the lying.A sworn deposition that Sen. John McCain gave in a lawsuit more than five years ago appears to contradict one part of a sweeping denial
Debate Pointsby digbyI thought the debate was quite good last night.  Senator Obama has become an excellent debater over the course of this primary, which shows that doing a bunch of them is a good th
It's His Judgment, Stupidby tristeroEven if you take him at his word and give him every benefit of a doubt, even if you cut him some slack for being more willing than most politicians to admit mistake
Saturday Night At The MoviesIf it’s Tuesday, this must be a Boschian nightmareBy Dennis HartleyIt’s hard to believe, but it’s been 14 years since Pulp Fiction was unleashed on an unsuspecting public.
Looking For A Reasonby digbyI know the MSM isn't particularly quick on the uptake, but this one is so obvious even they should be able to get it. I have been hearing for the past 24 hours how this NYT
Siegelman Story Reaches The Light Of Dayby ddayCBS' story on the Don Siegelman case last night was fine for a 9-minute television expose, but of course it isn't possible to take in all of the contours
The Curtain Is Pulled Backby ddayOnce the culture of fear yielded no results, no frightened and cowed Democrats scurrying for cover, the White House literally had no idea what to do.A day after warnin
What William Kristol Tosses Asideby tristeroKristol types:But Obama chose to present his flag-pin removal as a principled gesture. “You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly a
How Do We Defeat Tim Russert?by digbyThe country wants change.  They want Washington to stop all the partisan bickering and they want a different tone. They want their government to be serious and dea
Honor and Integrityby digbyWhen a radio gasbag introduced him today by babbling incoherently about the "Clinton News Network" and repeating the words Barack "Hussein" Obama over and over again, St Joh
When Pressure Isn't Pressureby ddayHilarious, so the Republican Whiny Caucus (i.e. the entire Republican Party) tried to force a vote on the Senate telecom amnesty bill today, but were beaten back by
The Stellar GOP Fieldby ddayYes, they've come up with another fantastic list of candidates for the 2008 election, fresh off of such 2006 luminaries as Mistress Strangler Don Sherwood, Frequent Frat Pa
Cokie's Lawby digby  Chris Matthews today:John McCain runs afoul of right wing radio hosts.  Again. As has been the case throughout this election season, going to war with the right.  Is he gonna come
The Russert-ization Of The 2008 Raceby ddayThe Tennessee GOP does an almost verbatim imitation of the Very Serious Journalist from Buffalo (he's a regular guy, y'all, he's from Buffalo!).ANTI-SEMITES
Modern Brandingby digbyHere's a very interesting interview on the subject of the Obama campaign's masterful branding. I'd noticed the consistency of the fonts and the logos, but I didn't realize what
The Real Superdelegatesby digbyGreg Sargent comments on Dowd's latest atrocity:I wanted to flag a line in the column that perfectly encapsulates top-shelf pundit elitism at its finest. Referring to Hi
Our Prison Problemby ddayThis story in the New York Times today just broke my heart.For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars, according to a new
The Democratic Rulesby ddayIf we had a press that applied the same rules to John McCain that it has to Democrats as of late...You'd hear every Democratic strategist on the talking head shows, and dire
Tyrantsby ddayGeorge Bush doesn't want anyone sitting around and taking pictures with tyrants:Sitting down at the table, having your picture taken with a tyrant such as Raul Castro, for example, lends
Murmurs of Another Cave?by ddayI was just about to write a post about how the Democrats were getting some backbone.  This week we've had Nancy Pelosi pursuing contempt of Congress citations for Josh B
They Weren't Raised To Be Writersby digbyVia Atrios, I see that Rove's Christian right liaison is a plagiarist.  But we shouldn't be surprised:Goeglein recalled a dinner party that he and his wife rec
Saturday Night At The MoviesSayles of AugustBy Dennis Hartley“Lord, I’m goin’ to Rosedale, gon’ take my rider by my sideWe can still barrelhouse baby, on the riverside.”-Robert Johnson, Traveling Rive
Only One Constituencyby ddayWe really have to look at this FISA battle in a completely new way in the context of today's New York Times story (emphasis mine).The warnings from President Bush and his s
Well That Worked Out Wellby digby Wiretap Compromise in WorksParker, who said she hopes the House can take up the compromise legislation as early as this week, said a resolution has been delayed partl
Doomed To Repeatby digbyHTML Mencken over at Sadly No smartly chides liberals for being unwilling to learn from the past, choosing instead to be born again in each new era and like mewling newborns ma
Pressing Issuesby digbyThe  blogosphere is all abuzz about this outrageous Charlotte Allen piece in the WaPo yesterday saying women are dumb. It was over the top, but frankly I'm a little bit surprise
The Truth About Bush Immunity Setting Inby ddayThe Washington Post channels me by figuring out that telecom immunity is really Bush immunity.Nearly 40 lawsuits, consolidated into five groups, are pend
The Manly Man's Best Friendby digbyIt's going to be a long campaign. The Washington Post is so in love with St John of Sedona  that it features two different stories in the paper today about a bar-b-q
Scandal Media 101by digbyOver a year ago I took one of my periodic trips down memory lane and roughly outlines the press treatment of the Whitewater story. At the time, the Rezko story was just starti
The Myth of Security Primacyby ddayChris Bowers wrote a post yesterday about how this idea that the primary responsibility of any President is to provide for the common defense is reductionist and wro
Democrats In Disarrayby ddayNow that the press beat up on Barack Obama for a few days it's Hillary Clinton's turn.  The WaPo runs an inside baseball piece about internal hatred among her staff, which
There Won't Be Bloodby digbyFor those of you who would like a little historical perspective on hard fought primaries, this article in Slate might help everyone relax a little bit as we face more trenc
The Warrior Kingby digbyBush just endorsed McCain and sounded like he's on a meth bender.  He couldn't let McCain have the spotlight.If I were McCain I'd be hoping that's the last time I have to appea
More on the Bush-Iraq Treatyby ddaySome have questioned whether or not the locking in of a status of forces agreement (SOFA) would create a situation that would make it difficult for a future Presiden
L'Etat, C'est Moiby ddayAnother day, another novel legal imterpretation to evade Congression input:The Bush administration yesterday advanced a new argument for why it does not require congressional a
Senator Hothead: Out of the Fire, Into the Brimstoneby ddayJohn W. McCain crept ever so slowly away from the loving embrace of Rapturist nutcase John Hagee today.Republican presidential candidate John
Testy Pilotby digbySt John had a bit of a meltdown today on the campaign plane. He was very upset that NY Times reporter Elizabeth Bumiller brought up the fact that he had met with john Kerry in 2004
Great And Prescient Moments In Recent Presidential Historyby ddayThere's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says...Fool me once - by publicly releasing the
Powerby tristeroAbsolutely, Power should be fired. Save that crap for  Republicans, who deserve it. And Josh is absolutely right. Obama's in a bind over this and the Clinton camp is not only within th
Foster'sby ddayIt's Australian for "the Republicans are in deep shit," mate!U.S. House - District 14 - Special GeneralIllinois - 564 of 568 Precincts Reporting - 99%Name                  Party     Vot
Saturday Night At The MoviesMen with PunsBy Dennis HartleyAs both Groucho Marx and George Carlin have famously (and astutely) observed, the phrase “military intelligence” may very well be the ultimate
Bold Failure to Be Conservativeby digbyI just saw the most absurd story I've seen in a while on CNN.  They decided to dig into Obama's record in Illinois and they found some critics.  And I know that
As The Stomach Churnsby digbyNoting the absence of virtually anything but primary campaign coverage in the news, LA Citybeat columnist, Mick Farren writes:  [T]he saturation coverage has morphed into
The Accidental 50-State Strategyby ddayI've seen nothing intelligent in the traditional media about the potential outcome of today's Wyoming Democratic caucuses (here is a good primer as to how they w
Inevitableby digbyDoug Feith makes a "Clean Break" with the Bush administration.  Sort of: In the first insider account of Pentagon decision-making on Iraq, one of the key architects of the war blasts
Content Of Their Charactersby digbyCNN reports:Come election time in November, voters in five states might have a decision to make as big as whom to elect president.Ballot initiatives have been propos
Let's Talk About Prostitutes.by ddayNo, not those.  I mean the legal prostitution ring that is our national press corps.  Three stories from that ring caught my eye today.First you have this homemade
Mann-dateby digbyTo those of you who are in high dudgeon over Spitzer possibly violating the Mann Act --- please.  The Mann Act is bullshit in a situation where the parties were consensual. Here's Wik
Your Candidate Isn't Jesusby ddayThis is an object lesson into why you should not invest yourself so heavily into politicians.Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials t
Noteby digbyHaloscan has been acting weird over the past few days, apparently because I decided to have the comment section moderated now and there was a technical glitch on some of the threads. It se
Stick This In Your Stovepipeby digby...and smoke it.Last week a reader sent me this and considering today's news about Admiral Fallon, it takes on new urgency:I just saw your post about Fallon being c
Bold Truth-Tellerby ddayThere's video now of George Bush's "farewell song" at last weekend's Gridiron Club dinner.  He hits all the high notes, treating tragedy, destruction and the end of any pretens
Fallon "Retires"by digby... as of today.We talked about this the other day.  He was clearly fired. His resignation letter mentions the Esquire article and how it makes it impossible to continue. He wa
Vote! by digbyDear Friend, At this point it seems that all is lost on FISA. It looks like in the process of negotiating a compromise with the Senate, the House will be forced to have an up-or-down vot
Self-Fulfilling Prophecyby ddayThis won't come as news to anyone in the blogosphere, but the result of reviewing 600,000 Iraqi documents found that there was no link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaed
Parting Shot?by digbyThere's lots of new information in this NY Times article about the allegedly suspicious financial transactions that led the Feds to Spitzer's call girl habit. It's still vague abo
I Wonder How That Could Beby ddayAmazingly enough, people have no idea how many Americans are dying in Iraq.Twenty-eight percent of the public is aware that nearly 4,000 U.S. personnel have died in Ir
Economic National Securityby digbyAccording to Steve Clemons and others with contacts inside the national security community, Fallon was fired for insubordination and it doesn't portend any change in
Puddingby digbyClearly somebody at the LA Times has been skimming his free copy of regular columnist Doughy Pantload's magnum opus during lunch.Is the American left now a movement of economic issues a
Ooooh, Secret!!!by ddaySo Republicans want the House to enter into a secret session to discuss the FISA bill, and there's a pretty entertaining debate on the House floor about this right now.  My favo
Nosy Parkers And Busybodiesby digbyTranscript of the statement Gov. Eliot Spitzer delivered on Wednesday announcing his resignation:In the past few days I've begun to atone for my private failings wit
Hit 'Em Where It Hurtsby digbySpocko, (the guy who chased Melanie Morgan off San Francisco radio) wrote this in the comments to our "pudding" series about questioning the premises of these right wing
Fairnessby digbyCan someone tell me why a Democratic congress would allow this to happen?The people who had been invited to testify had flown in from around the country with their credit card bills in
Pudding Regurgitatedby tristeroI was thrilled, via Digby, to read Rick Perlstein's brilliant answer to the LA Times' bizarre question:Is the American left now a movement of economic issues and nationa
Saturday Night At The MoviesPaging Dr. LeakeyBy Dennis HartleyA fact is a fact. Director Roland Emmerich makes great movie trailers. C’mon-admit it, you loved watching the White House blow up real goo
Little Rustic Cabin by digbyJamison Foser talks about  the odd obsession the press corps has for Democratic candidates' finances while ignoring the finances of the much richer Mr and Mrs John McCain.
Catch That Goalpostby ddayOver the last few days, White House officials and military leaders, either by themselves or through the press, have been steadily lowering expectations about the current situ
Take It To The Peopleby digbyMost of you have undoubtedly already read that the House managed to pass the FISA bill (again) without corporate immunity. This is excellent news.  Of course there is stil
Fasten Your Seat Beltsby digbyTomorrow should be an interesting day on Wall Street. JP Morgan just bought Bear Sterns for less than the price of the office building it's housed in and then the Fed  cu
A Responsible Planby digbyFrom Think Progress:On April 1, 2007, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) strolled through the open-air Shorja market in Baghdad in an effort to prove that Americans are “not getting the
Inside The Planby ddayAt this hour, the website for the Responsible Plan to End The War In Iraq has just gone live.  I urge you to check it out and read the plan.  Alternatively, you can read the foll
Tell Me Liesby digbyAs we hurtle forward into GOP smear season, this article in this week-end's NY Times magazine may help us explain how these character assassinations damage Democrats so successfull
Heart of Darknessby digbySo I'm here inside the belly of the beast.  The Villagers eye me warily.  The Hillshills and the Bamabots circle one another with barely leashed antagonism. (Don't get stuck i
Natchby ddayJoseph Nacchio was the CEO of Qwest Communications, and seven months before 9-11 (let me repeat, BEFORE 9-11), he and his company were asked to assist the US government in providing access
Solutions-Based Leadershipby ddayFirst off, Digby is busy taking back America at the aptly named Take Back America conference.  So if you're in Washington, go over to the Omni Shoreham and say hello.
Enter Fourthbranchby ddayAs we reach the fifth anniversary of the beginning of an unnecessary, pre-emptive, disastrous war with far-reaching consequences for Iraqis, Americans, and the whole globe, Di
Moatby ddayThis came out a few days ago, but I couldn't let it slip by.  Yuma, Arizona is looking back to the Middle Ages for a solution to their border issues.City officials in Yuma, in south-western
The Klingon Candidateby ddayThe latest from John McCain today, where he inadvertently admits that he doesn't know the difference between Sunni and Shi'a, isn't an isolated incident.  In fact, he said
Race And The Campaignby ddayI want to discuss Barack Obama's speech on race and politics, but first I want to say that I have a problem with these expected blog posts on expected speeches that the dyn
Corporate WelfareE.J. Dionne finally says it:Never do I want to hear again from my conservative friends about how brilliant capitalists are, how much they deserve their seven-figure salaries and how g
Acceptable vs. Unacceptableby ddayWhen you read this story, you have to play back in your mind the vision of Brian Ross getting the release of Hillary Clinton's personal First Lady schedule, flipping
Nervous Much?by ddayI think that the noise machine is a little worried about this McCain useful fiction about Iran and Al Qaeda.  Some Weekly Standard propagandists crashed a conference call with the
Not A Misstatementby ddayI've been watching a bit of MSNBC this morning, which is the modern equivalent of medieval self-flagellation.  And they're touching on this John McCain story, but treading lig
Spin Cycleby ddayIt's illuminating to see, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, what the architects of this nightmare have to say about it in their inevitable soundbites.George W. Bush:Removing S
He's Going For Itby ddayLooks like Bombs Away John McCain is going to go ahead and try to lie his way to the White House.But while the McCain campaign is backing away from the specific claims about Ir
Politicians Gone Wildby digbyOf all the wisecracks heard in the marble halls of New York's Capitol after Gov. Eliot Spitzer's downfall in a call-girl scandal, one jest enlightened as much as it stung:
Dumb As A Foxby digbyI have often wondered why John McCain never travels anywhere without Joe Lieberman and Huckleberry Graham plastered to his side. Apparently, Lieberman is there to clean up McCain'
Federal Agency As Campaign Outreach Armby ddayDuring elections as far back as 2002, Karl Rove made sure that all political resources at his disposal were employed to help elect Republicans.  Federal a
The War Economyby ddayIn his third major speech in three days, Barack Obama tackled the war's impact on the economy.“Instead of fighting this war, we could be fighting for the people of West Virginia,
Like Who Cares?by tristeroThis post grossly distorts what was going on in the media "on the eve of war." Greg Mitchell is correct that the NY Times, for example, editorialized against the war. But it
SlaughterGlenn Greenwald says, more or less, what needs to be said about Anne-Marie Slaughter's attempt to sidestep talking about her rotten judgment in 2002/2003. He is too polite to add that Slaught
80,000 Well-Armed, Angry Sunnisby ddayThe American media has forgotten that there are countries to the east of Pennsylvania, home of the April 22 primary.  The marginalization of the Iraq debacle is e
Who's Watching You?by digby... and why?Glenn Greenwald gets to what's important about this snooping into the passport files of the three presidential candidates --- the simple observation that if the
Saturday Night At The MoviesAllow Me To DemonstrateBy Dennis HartleyA modern revolutionary group heads for the television station.-Abbie HoffmanIn September of 1969, Abbie Hoffman and fellow radical a
Everybody Must Get Stonedby ddaySee, there's a very simple explanation for how federal investigators discovered Eliot Spitzer's secret trysts in hotel rooms with prostitutes.  They were merely alerted
Changing The Conversation on National Security by digbyAs we've "celebrated" the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion these last few days, with exciting speeches by the Commander in Chief and former
Wright And Wrongby digby*Note:  this is a tediously long post.  If you are inclined to spout off in anger at me about it, could you please do me the favor of reading the whole thing before you do it.I
Bermanby tristeroI have been trying to wrap my head around Paul Berman's nearly incomprehensible screed Why Radical Islam Just Won’t Die and for the longest time couldn't figure it out.In his defense,
O'Hanlon's Lamentby ddayMichael O'Hanlon is deeply upset that he's not able to pontificate so much anymore on his brillliant concept to get American soldiers held hostage doing police work on the stre
Bush League Scienceby tristeroIf it ain't broke, break it:Scientists plan to put one of the twin Mars rovers to sleep and limit the activities of the other robot to fulfill a NASA order to cut $4 mill
Reading Stupidby digbyThere's been a lot of chit-chat these last few days about McCain having what Brit Hume called a so-called senior moment when he "accidentally" said repeatedly that Al Qaeda in Ir
In The Long Runby digbyDick Cheney explains why he doesn't care care what the people think about the war in Iraq:The president of the United States, under these circumstances, dealing with these kinds
Grown-up In Chargeby digbyJohn McCain is going to solve our economic problems by convening a meeting of the nation's accountants.  He also thinks that people should be forced to put bigger down paymen
The Great Unravelingby ddayIraq is actually falling apart on all sides.  There's a reason that Gen. Petraeus and Ryan Crocker are calling for a pause in drawing down troop levels.  There's a reason th
Naiveteby tristeroFrom what I can tell, Matt Nisbet has no idea who or what he is dealing with, nor any clue as to who his real friends are. Nisbet youtubes a clip from a new creationist propaganda fi
Make Them Do Itby digbyAuthors Naomi Klein (The Shock Doctrine) and Jeremy Scahill (Blackwater) have written an important article about ending the war.  The central thrust of the piece is that we shou
Constitutional Concern Trollsby digbyI've been enjoying all the deep concern and hand wringing that Republican gasbags and pundits are expressing over the Democratic primary.  It's always so nice of t
Cosmological Flyboyby digbyNeal Gabler has a fascinating article today in the NY Times about the relationship between St. McCain and his Hannah Montana fanboys in the press. I think he really gets to
Sensible Centrist Crisis Manufacturingby ddayThis is a dumb article.Presidential hopefuls are mum on Medicare and Social Security woesWith the presidential campaign going full tilt, a new government r
Fit McCain for Leg Ironsby ddayJohn McCain is a fugitive from justice.  He spoke at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council as a man on the lam.  With every passing day, every fill-up of diesel for the
National Greatnessby digbyHowie at DWT points me to this fascinating column in the Financial Times about John McCain which ties in with something I wrote the other day (and many times before) about Am
Hope For Justiceby ddayActivism and relentless focus from progressives and a few journalists have yielded fruit.  Don Siegelman is free pending appeal.Former Gov. Don Siegelman will be released from p
Return On Successby ddaySo Bush today scolded the nattering nabobs of negativism on Iraq and claimed that the country is making good progress toward political reconciliation.As if on cue, news came ou
Ever Triedby digbyChris Hayes at The Nation writes about The Responsible Plan:  In the face of this official indifference to public opinion, it is tempting to succumb to despair. The antiwar strategy,
Squids and Romansby digbyI am on the road today travelling to Philly PA to pay homage to the great Atrios and cheese steaks, not necessrily in that order. I am blessedly away from all gasbags and feel
How About 30 Days?  Best 3 Out Of 5?by ddayBefore I go I just have to post about the situation in Iraq, which would be funny if it didn't involve mass death.  First the Prime Minister went down to Bas
Bush's Goons, Jenna's Barhopping, and Breathtaking Lawlessnessby ddayI'll be heading out to San Jose tomorrow for the California Democratic Party Convention, the largest gathering of uncommitted super
Saturday Night At The MoviesDivine Trash, Hidden Jewels, Part 6: Short Attention Span Theaterby Dennis HartleyOne of the most striking signs of the decay of art is when we see its separate forms jumbl
There's Something About JJby digbyI wrote about this before, but I think it's worth reiterating. The "special relationship" between John McCain and the press is particularly dangerous in one respect:
Weird, As In Pravda Weirdby tristeroAm I the only one who finds this news article about al-Sadr's call to Arabs to support his cause profoundly weird?Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called on
Party Crashers by digbyApparently Jay Rosen  was intrigued (and concerned) by Will Bunch's characterization of the liberal bloggers at Eschacon "declaring war" on the press.  I find that interesting s
Too Big To Failby ddaySo the Treasury Secretary called for a "sweeping overhaul" of financial rules, and the cheerleaders on the business channels are predictably calling this some kind of radical cha
And Again, The Winner Is Iranby tristeroJuan Cole analyzes the latest cease-fire in the multi-front Iraqi civil war: The entire episode underlines how powerful Iran has become in Iraq. The Iranian gov
Ignorance Is Blissby ddayWhile the media obsess over bowling scores, the ability to understand and explain basic concepts of domestic and foreign policy is not up for question in the narrow political
Daddy's Bad Boyby digby It's a classic American story: In the prime of his life, a man who parties too much and lives in the shadow of his esteemed father turns his life around. He gives up alcohol, e
Who Needs a 527?by ddayI saw footage of Barack Obama's trip to Altoona, PA the other day, bowling a gutterball and scoring a paltry 37 (for 7 frames, not a full game, by the way) about 10 times on cab
Courting The Cavaliersby digbyEd Kilgore thinks John McCain dwelling on his forbears military past  is the story of the Prodigal SonI've just read the Meridian, Mississippi speech with which John McCa
The GOP Fires Up The Attack Machineby ddayKarl Rove kicks off the opening salvo in the quadrennial "Question The Democrat's Patriotism" derby:Are you surprised at how Obama exploded?You know, I want t
Major World Hunger Crisisby ddayWe get tunnel vision on superdelegates and stump speeches and credentials committees, all of which have their own level of importance.  When I see a headline that milli
I See Regular Peopleby digbyA month or so ago Chris Matthews gave an interview to the NY Observer and he said this:The galloping campaign, in Mr. Matthews’ estimation, was that of Senator Barack Obama
Searching For God In Fish Entrailsby tristeroIt truly is hard to find a better example of what is wrong with "intelligent design" creationism than a paper from a creationist website PZ discusses here:
Just Another Outpostby digbyResponding to Obama's frequent mocking of McCain's suggestion that U.S. troops might remain in Iraq for 100 years, the Republican nominee-in-waiting said the Illinois senat
Early Morning, April 4by dday... shot rings out, in a Memphis sky,free at last, they took you alive your life (I'm a dummy)but they could not take your pride...And then I got into Memphis. And some be
He So PoMoby digby... he so cool.Last week I wrote about Neal Gabler's scorching essay about McCain's relationship to the media in which he observed:Though Mr. McCain can be the most self-deprecating
Clever Gaffesby digby Glenn is on to a story about the Attorney General apparently making stuff up out of whole cloth and nearly crying about it. Mukasey said in a speech that FISA prevented the US fr
Oinkersby ddayOh great, the geniuses at Citizens Against Government Waste have rolled out their latest Congressional Pig Book, and they had a big press conference in DC, complete with actual pigs (har
Crying Wolf And Crocodile Tearsby digbyGlenn updated his story about Mukasey literally choking up in public over the supposed fact that FISA prevented the government from stopping 9/11. It turns out t
Evergreenby digbyOne of the things I think people may not completely grok about us loathsome and reviled baby boomers is that our politically formative years were a little bit unusual --- when we were
Oinkers, Continuedby ddaySo remember yesterday, when I basically said that Consumers Against Government Waste was essentially a GOP front group designed to sap trust in government by promoting Congres
When Danger Reared Its Ugly Headby tristeroLook at it from their standpoint. The article states, "The White House has conditioned further withdrawals of American troops on the readiness of the Iraqi m
Saturday Night At The MoviesSurge ProtectorsBy Dennis Hartley“Stop-loss was created by the United States Congress after the Vietnam War. It has been used on the legal basis of Title 10 , United States
If The Shoe Fitsby digbyMcCain giving etiquette lessons:“We deserve more than tolerance from one another, we deserve each other’s respect, whether we think each other right or wrong in our views,” Mr.
He Didn't Mean What He Meantby digbyI was going to write something about this but Jamison Foser saved me the trouble.  The media's triple backflips and double axels explaining away McCain's "100 years
Boatloads Of Bad Applesby digbyHigh level interest: The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating whether a career attorney in the department was dismissed from her job because of rumors
The Blithering Idiocy of the DC Establishmentby ddayThe Village, via Cokie Roberts, gives their very serious assessment of Iraq on ABC's This Week:STEPHANOPOLOUS: But this is going to be a split in th
Compulsory Ring Kissing Under Fireby digbyJohn Amato caught the winner of this week's McCain manlove contest: ACOSTA: But it was earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia, where he [McCain] visited a
Reason #5789by digbyNot to trust the Bush Justice Department:[N]ow comes a disturbing prosecution in Miami of an attorney who helped to represent Al Gore during the 2000 election recount fight.Ben Kue
What Are They Waiting For?by digbyD-day says that I'm one of the biggest pollyannas in the blogosphere about the November election.  My sunny upbeat belief that the Democrats are pretty much a shoe-in
Definedby ddayRedState is planning their latest Hissy Fit, putting up a hit list of journalists "who need to be set straight" about John W. McCain's 100 years in Iraq comment.It's amusing that wingnut
Storylinesby digbyAndrea Mitchell said today that Clinton has a "growing credibility gap" because she repeated a story on the stump about a woman who was denied health care and died. (I believe this i
Glib, Contemptuous, Ignorant, Incuriousby digbyYou'll recall that Ronald Reagan was very consciously turned into a mythic God by right wingers, for the specific purpose of embedding the idea that cons
A Minor Detailby tristeroIt's a tiny little thing, and consequently terribly revealing. In the midst of a NY Times article describing the present chaos in Iraq, including fatal attacks on the Green Zo
Heroesby digbyThere have been a lot of heroes today on television.  The Man Called Petraeus appeared, draped in salad, to testify about the ongoing surging victory in Iraq.  At nearly the same moment,
Joe Biden Just Obliterated Every Administration Argument About Iraqby ddayThat was a very significant moment at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings with Amb. Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Pe
Topspin Lob Back To Youby ddayI'm glad we're having this kind of public discussion, even if it is a bit meta.  Allow me to revise and extend my remarks.I wasn't trying to say that the failures of trad
Iraq/Iranby tristeroGary Kamiya talks to Juan Cole about Iran's influence in Iraq. As mentioned yesterday, the grossly oversimplified propaganda of the Bush administration thoroughly distorts the situ
Big Ole Whiff 'O Freedomby digbyRight wing bloggers' heads are exploding all over the country: An Iraqi judicial committee has dismissed terrorism-related allegations against Associated Press photogra
World Food Crisis Updateby ddayLast week I tried to call some attention to the looming world food crisis that is resulting from soaring prices on staples like rice and wheat.  This week we've seen a c
Tears Of A Clownby digby“I don’t think people look at me as the establishment, do you?” Matthews asked me. “Am I part of the winner’s circle in American life? I don’t think so.”I just read the Chris M
Don't Look Over Thereby digbyIn the course of a discussion of another of Fred Kagan's shrieking justifications (in which he now calls war opponents "hyper-sophisticates" which is really funny coming f
There's A Reason McCain Graduated 6th From The Bottom At The Naval Academyby tristeroAnd that's because he's dumb as a post:' SEN. MCCAIN: There are numerous threats to security in Iraq and the future
Making Sissiesby digbyDick Morris is one of those wingnut gasbags who doesn't sugercoat the propaganda and just tells the world outright what the Republican conventional wisdom is at any given moment.
The Horrorby ddayWe all knew this, but the level of specificity is striking.In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and a
The Secular Conscienceby tristeroI urge you to pick up a copy of The Secular Conscience by philosopher Austin Dacey (he serves as UN representative for the Center for Skeptical Inquiry, is an editor a
"This Is Your Baby, Go To It"by digbyI thought I was long past the point of being shocked at anything the Bush administration did. They suspended the constitution after 9/11 and set forth a series of
The Difference Between Pizza and Orange Juiceby ddayI actually saw this on Hardball yesterday and decided not to post on it because I wanted to erase it from my memory.  But Media Matters brought it b
It Depends On Your Definition Of Appallingby ddaySo Fourthbranch Cheney went there on Obama and Rev. Wright:"I thought the controversy over Rev. Wright was remarkable," Cheney said. “I thought some of
The Secular ConscienceYesterday, I posted the first question I posed to philosopher Austin Dacey author of The Secular Conscience: Why Belief Belongs in Public Life.  My second question was deliberatl
White Hair And War Woundsby digbyMargaret Carlson tells us all what Real Americans  want.  Of course, the Real Americans Carlson speaks for are the political media:As he'd done so many times before, M
Saturday Night At The MoviesDon’t nobody move: The art of the heist caperBy Dennis HartleyGlancing over the most recent theater schedules, it would seem that the “heist caper” is back (not that it eve
ACLU Calls for Independent Counselby digbyThe ACLU is calling on congress to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the administration's little torture reenactment parties at the white house.FO
The Torture Presidentby tristeroFrom November, 2007: I am prepared to accept whatever risk that goes along with living in a country that doesn't ever torture its enemies. Because I know that there is
Whateverby digbyUpdated belowBoth tristero and I have weighed in with stunned, slack jawed incredulity that the president of the United States has  blithely admitted that he approved of the highest me
A Mystery Solved, Another Concern, And An Open Letter To Juan Coleby tristero In a review so shamelessly  fawning it simply boggles the mind , Niall Ferguson writes of Philip Bobbitt's latest book len
"They did this in your name, Americans. "by tristeroI'd like to register my own sense of shock and disgust at the revelations of torture planning at the highest levels of the Bush administration that
"A War Of Sexual Humiliation"by ddayLet me add to the chorus of those expressing their total revulsion in the President's admission that he approved high-level meetings inside the White House to direc
Torture Nationby digbyIn keeping with tristero's advice to keep talking about the immorality of torture, I thought I would reprise some of my earlier posts on the subject.   There are, sadly, many of
Answering Booman's Serious Questionby tristeroAbout the admissions that torture was planned at the highest level with the approval of the president:If you were strategizing a blogswarm to get Congress
What Would They Do?by digbyObama on torture, rendition and illegal wiretapping today:What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information
We Win Oneby ddayThis emphasis on the Torture Regime in Washington and the demand for accountability can seem quixotic, I fully acknowledge that.  The Congress isn't going to lift a finger and the Bus
Nice Hedge You've Got Thereby ddayAfter a weekend of total radio silence on the revelations that the American President approved and designated torture tactics on detainees, a reporter finally got up
The Manly Wimpsby digbyI've been thinking about torture all week-end which naturally led me to think about Glenn Greenwald's new book, Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican P
Zingby digbyDear God.  Matthews is about to feel major tingling in every appendage --- John McCain is his guest for the whole hour.Feel the magic.Here we go:Matthews: You also disagree with him [Bush]
It'll Never Come Backby digbyMcCain's gambit to "temporarily" suspend the gas tax is very clever. But Democrats should not be taken in.  If it's suspended it will never be reinstated.  If they doubt t
Torturous Strategeryby digbyI would like to reiterate D-Day's call to send emails to ABC today to ask Charlie Gibson to follow up on ABC's scoop revealing that the highest levels of the executive bran
Cornering the Market on Bipartisanshipby ddayShorter John McSame: The key is to trap the troops:Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, seemed to give a thumbs down
The Fallacy That It's Business As Usual, More Or Lessby tristeroOne can be utterly appalled at the dreadful details of past American behavior and yet make a convincing case that the torture discussion
Fighting The Good Fightby tristeroA new piece of propaganda called Expelled is about to be inflicted on an America that needs more lies the way a dog needs a huge helping of chocolate - if we enthusia
Who Will Tell The People?by digbyAs you well informed blog readers all know by now, last week ABC broke an interesting little story. It was about how Condi Rice, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales, Colin P
Galas and Puffsby digbyIn addition to D-day's and Molly Ivors' Dowd take downs today, Somerby also deconstructs her column in his own inimitable style.He gives her some advice about on particular pass
It's Her Babyby digbyI couldn't agree with this more: Condi must go. This woman has been given a pass on all of the Bush administration's atrocities and yet we now know that she was at the very center
MoDo Ju Jitsuby ddayMaureen Dowd today does a little behind-the-back move that you might not notice if you're as dumb as she thinks you are.  She kicks off her column by explaining how salt-of-the-ear
Nobody Puts Baby Boomer In The Cornerby digbyFrom a commenter to an article in TNR:What a lot of pundits and commentators have overlooked in their response to Obama's words in San Francisco is what th
Motivational Tortureby digbyDoing what it takes:No one really disputes that Chad Hudgens was waterboarded outside a Provo office park last May 29, right before lunch, by his boss.There is also general
Death By A Thousand Trivial Smearsby digbyI had another post teed up about Glenn Greenwald's latest, Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics, but will run it tomorrow
But Does Al Qaeda Know How Many Flag Pins We Wear?by ddayThis could be a good topic for a future debate, in a bizarro America where such things are more important than someone's pastor.Here is the tit
Academic Argumentby ddayYes, I listened to the debate while reading the anger about it from thinking people, and yes, it was depressing.  My little gambit to have the moderators address the subject of
The Big Changeby digbyWhenever I get down about the Democrats' prospects in the fall, which is rare, I try to remember that the Republicans are more unpopular than they've been in a generation and tha
Tiddly Winksby digbyI'm hearing a lot of complaining from people who are upset that bloggers and others are taking action against ABC when "nobody cared" about MSNBC's outrageous behavior throughout t
D-Day didn't post this here, so I will --- digbyWe're marching on ABC/Disney in Burbank today - armed with flag pins!by ddayOK, so everyone's frustrated with the content-free, brainless ABC News debat
"A Major Debacle," Yes, But It's Also A "Must Win"by tristeroJoseph J. Collins who was, until 2004, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations, writes in a study published by the N
Saturday Night At The Movies‘Board certified: Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid ParkBy Dennis HartleyGus Van Sant’s name has become synonymous with a genre tagged as “northwest noir”, and, true to form, his lat
New Rules, Same As The Old Rulesby digbyJoe Conason:The sorry performance of ABC anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos in this week’s final Democratic primary debate should serve as a signa
We Came, We Saw, We Handed Out Flag Pinsby ddayOK, so I should mention the results of our protest yesterday at the ABC/Disney headquarters.  It went really well.  Note that I had this idea sitting on
Gasbag Performance Artby digbyThis Politico story about McCain running an "unconventional campaign" of triangulation against the Democrats and Bush is very intriguing:Facing the prospect of competing
The Times Catches Up With Usby tristeroThere's a pretty good editorial on the high level torture approvals by the Bush administration today in the Times, what Digby, Dday, and I - as well as others in
Saboteurs In Waitingby digbyI'm sure most of you have already read about the Republican retired officers who pose as unbiased military "analysts" on television.  I guess I should be shocked, but it al
A Real Cultby digbyHere's some interesting Sunday reading.  If, like many Americans (and all "Big Love" enthusiasts) you are a fascinated by the story of the FLDS cult down in Texas, Sara Robinson has
Hey Pennsylvanians by digby Here's a neat tool to use tomorrow: Help Make Sure Every Voter's Story Gets Told in 2008 The VoterStory web widget is programmed to collect and classify voter complaints in
It's Time To Defund Tortureby digbyCongressional candidate Darcy Burner has a post up at Open Left today talking about Blackwater:It's high time we picked a fight over this.Blackwater's contract was j
Do You Know How Much Your Co-Workers Make?by digbyIn the midst of a cavalcade of Bushian atrocities, sometimes it's hard to focus on  just what a horrible legacy this administration has left on the fe
Bring It On IIThe first time a Bush Administration official dared the Iraqi insurgency to attack Americans, they did, with devastating consequences that reverberate to this day.  In a show of sound ju
Torture Is Always Immoralby tristeroFor the sake of the younger people here, whose idea of "normal behavior” by an American president is that of the current one, let me explain that until, George W. B
Friedman Units, Election-Styleby ddayRachel Maddow basically just namechecked Atrios on MSNBC and called the race a series of Friedman Units, where pundits and media types say "the next primary will b
Torturers Among Usby digbyFollowing up on D-Day's post from earlier about Guantanamo interrogators who got hard-ons talking about torture techniques, I thought some of you who haven't been reading her
Playing The "Press Card"by digbyI wrote yesterday about how the right wing gasbags pushing the media narrative about McCain's "x-treme maverickosity" is the only possible way the Republicans can win.
The Watchersby ddayLet's be clear about the acts of torture planned and authorized out of the White House that The New York Times has editorialized about.  Some of the details were laid out in the 200
Bush At 69% Disapprovalby tristeroBush At 69% Disapproval. That's the highest ever disapproval for a president. And 28% approve. You may think that sounds like very low approval but it's not. Actually
Food Runs At Walmartby digbyIs this for real?Food-related protests have been occurring worldwide, and in the U.S. now  major discounters are seeing runs on products, particularly rice, as both  Sam’s
Deep Insight Reduxby digbyI have posted dispatches over the last few months from a friend I call "Deep Insight" who has worked for many years in Democratic politics and has a keen sense of the lay of
Going The Distanceby digbyI hate writing about this primary because I'm nearly alone in my opinions and everyone on both sides mistrusts me for them. But what the hell. Last night was not unexpected s
The First Salvo In The Next Nurembergby ddayA Daily Kos diarist and several other citizens were able to question John Ashcroft last night on the subject of torture.  His denials were outright revealin
More Saladby digbyThe Man Called Petraeus gets a promotion.  His resume is looking good.The Associated Press has learned that Gen. David Petraeus has been tapped to become the next commander of U.S. C
His Historical Legacy  by digby The creep Scalia can run, but he can't hide:  Justice Antonin Scalia, in an interview to be shown on Sunday, defended the U.S. Supreme Court ruling's that gave George W
Calling All Readersby digbyWe have a project for you. (And it's fun!)From Rick Perlstein:Conservatism is on the ropes; if my dialogue below with David Frum suggests anything, it's that. So Bob Borosag
Let Them Eat Cakeby digbyNever again:Republican presidential candidate John McCain took stock of still-hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans on Thursday and declared that if the disaster had happened
Who's Loving The Long Primary?by digbyThose damned Democratic voters: RALEIGH, N.C. - Not since 1988 has North Carolina had much of a voice in choosing a presidential nominee. Back then, it joined sev
McCain's Terrible, Horrible, No-Good Very Bad Weekby ddayI hope somebody's taking notes on this week's travails for John McCain, because if this was October and anyone was paying attention, his entire
A Very Special Jobby digbyJoe Conason has a good column today in Salon about GOP bottom feeder Floyd Brown of Willie Horton fame, who has, unsurprisingly, emerged from the slime to work on behalf of J
Rallying Around Habeas Counselby digbyThe Talking Dog has conducted another interview with one of the Guantanamo lawyers.  I recommend reading the whole thing, but I thought one question and answer wa
Pivot Pointby digbyFrom the unsolicited advice department.I heard an interesting passing observation from John Harwood on MSNBC in which he more or less characterized Senator Obama's campaign as a pro
Saturday Night At The MoviesCrazy rhythms: The Visitor doesn’t miss a beatBy Dennis HartleyIf Richard Jenkins doesn’t get an Oscar nod for his amazing performance in Thomas McCarthy’s new comedy-drama
It Burnsby digbyIn this time of economic turbulence, get ready for more of the stupidest news segments ever:LEMON: All right, looking to save some money in this economy? Of course you are. Who isn't?
Oh No He Didn'tby digbyFrom Crooks and Liars:Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Friday night, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told the conservative pundit that “the left wing of the Democratic Pa
Obama Tries To Rewrite The Scriptby ddayThis is a very good article by Digby, noting the correct prediction that the conservative movement would go all-out to use the well-worn, 50-year narrative of D
Speaking For the Little Guyby digbyUp-is-downism makes a triumphant return to the political stage: McCain calls Obama insensitive to poor peopleRepublican presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday
Mercenary Pariahsby digbyVia TBOGG, I see that Blackwater can't find love anywhere in Southern California:San Diego officials will challenge Blackwater Worldwide's permit for an indoor military traini
Following The Scriptby digbyI wrote this back in the beginning of February:Chris Matthews personally deplored Bill Clinton when he was president, loathed Al Gore in 2000, hated John Kerry in 2004 and
The Waveby digbyI've written a lot lately (to some derision from readers) about the fact that I see seismic forces at work in the coming election which I believe are due to conservative movement fatig
Validating Voter Suppressionby digbyFollowing up on D-Day's post below about the Supreme Court's decision on voter ID in Indiana, and particularly his point that Obama is greatly expanding the pool of
The Pentagon: More Responsive Than The Broadcast Mediaby ddayApparently the Defense Department felt the pressure - I have no idea from whom - sufficient to stop feeding information to retired generals
Flaccid Flyboyby digbyThe North Carolina GOP is saying that their ads against Obama are North Carolina business and that their presidential nominee has no power to make them do anything. Fine.  Firedo
Jeremiah Wrightby tristeroIf you haven't seen Bill Moyers' interview with Jeremiah Wright, go now and see both parts. You will encounter a very remarkable man, highly intelligent, articulate, charisma
About That Voter Registration Driveby ddayIt had better come with a trip to the DMV:The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating thei
Well, Technically, He Didn't Call Him Unpatrioticby tristeroReality imitates art. In a boneheaded error straight out of an Evelyn Waugh novel, a high-level muckymuck at the Times must have barked, "Ge
Nobody Likes A Whinerby ddayYou know you're trying to bluff with a really bad hand when the AP opens its story with this lede:President Bush put politics ahead of the facts Tuesday as he sought to bla
Gitlinby tristeroAs mentioned in my previous post, I often disagree with Todd Gitlin. And I disagree with this post of his. Sort of::Obama has to say full-out where he disagrees with Wright. He has to
"We Can't have Acquittals"by digbyAnother day, another example of the Bush administration illegality.  Not that anyone's paying attention, what with the pressing need to obsess over the utterances of
Media Declares Warby ddayJust to follow up on Tristero's piece on Rev. Wright, I completely agree that this is an attempt to silence liberal voices and make them an automatic political problem.  That'
They Hate Himby tristeroWow, do they ever:The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. has wriggled out...Let's stop right there, people. On its front page, The New York Times has just compared Jeremiah Wright to
This Happens Every Dayby ddayEither John McCain has the worst advance people in the world, or his policies - and Republican policies in general - are so decidedly aristocratic that they can't help tri
Here We Go Againby digbyI have to assume that the telcoms have been secretly monitoring members of congress and the Bush administration's communications and are blackmailing them.  There is just no ot
A Member In Good Standingby digbyEven before the Iraq invasion, I used to do a ton of writing  about some of the wackier neocon loons like Laurie Mylroie.  I had been aware of her even before 9/11.  S
And Now, For Something Completely Differentby tristeroNow this is cool:A team of Hewlett-Packard scientists reported Wednesday in the science journal Nature that they have designed a simple circuit el
WVWVby digbyGood morning, America! It just gets better all the time. Due to the fact that I was voted favorite female blogger by people who read their site and participated in their PSA encouraging wo
A Question of Characterby ddayHey, look at this: John McCain is lying about his role in creating public policy!  Doesn't that sound to you like a character issue?An Arizona Republican, McCain has all
Betrayalby digbyI have frankly been a little bit confused by the reaction to Reverend Wright's recent comments around the sphere and even here on this blog. I thought most people in the Netroots were
Coordinated Effortby ddayDigby is right, the news we're hearing about a possible deal on immunity definitely suggests that the Administration knows they're legally liable for spying on American citize
A Prayer For National Day Of Prayerby tristeroGuess what?  It's (cue seraphim to blast their trumpets) National Day of Prayer. And Shirley Dobson , wife of James, is the chairman of the "National Day
MAyday!by digbyYes, it's that time of year again. HAPPY CODPIECE DAY EVERYONE!!!Sadly,he isn't having as much fun these days:The White House said Wednesday that President Bush has paid a price for the
This Week In Tortureby ddaySome notable developments in the torture "debate" this week.  Yes, there are some people out there who think that torturing other human beings is up for debate, people like
Counterpunchby ddayThis is the best way to deal with that awful Supreme Court decision on voter ID.Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Kei
Saturday Night At The MoviesThe Comedies Of TerrorBy Dennis HartleyThey say that tragedy plus time equals comedy. In the 2005 film,The Aristocrats, a documentary about the “filthiest joke in the world
Never Question The Premiseby digbyI don't know the name of the CNN week-end freakshow (CNNWFS )who hosts "This Week In Politics" but whoever he is, he's been very attentive in Village brainwashing cla
How Many Years Until 100 Years?The unstoppable whine from the RNC over Democratic message dominance on John McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comments has now morphed into "you stole footage from a terrori
What's Wrong With This Picture?by digby Here are who the Telegraph considers to be the 50 most influential political pundits in America. The following are the top choices starting with number 10, Mark
What Attack Machine?by ddayDemocrats have picked up a seat in deep-red Louisiana.In a close race featuring millions of dollars in bruising television ads, Democrat Don Cazayoux defeated Republican Woo
The Wallby digbyOnward Christian Soldiers:Maybe the reason the misperception persists that there are no atheists in foxholes is that nonbelievers must either shut up about their views or be hounded ou
And Still We Have No Voiceby tristeroIn the Times' News of the Week in Review - the Sunday editorial section - is a huge spread entitled How to See This Mission Accomplished : For the fifth anniversar
Bill Moyersby tristeroSummarizing what needs to be said:Behold the double standard: John McCain sought out the endorsement of John Hagee, the warmongering, Catholic-bashing Texas preacher, who said th
Sexual Politicsby digbyWe are seeing the first of the inevitable navel gazing feature stories purporting to look at the subtext of the campaign from the perspective of the always perceptive political
The Thugs Are Outby ddayKudos to Raw Story for an incredible piece of journalism detailing the lengths to which the Administration's goons are trying to shut down any investigations into the perversio
And The Story Gets More Baroqueby tristeroNow Iran is supposed to be hiring Hezbollah to conduct classes in terrorism for Iraqis in Iran so they can go back to Iraq and create havoc. Got that?Militant
Nunsby ddayThe primary results from Indiana and North Carolina should be pretty much projected by 8:00ET or so.  But we already know who's won, at least in Indiana - voter suppression advocates like t
Showdown At The House Judiciary Committeeby ddayNot only did they vote to subpoena David Addington, Cheney's Cheney, about acts of torture authorized inside the White House, but John Yoo has agreed to
Juan Cole On Iran/Hezbolollah Talesby tristeroYestereday, I noted some major problems with Michael Gordon's story "Hezbollah Trains Iraqis in Iran" and I wasn't the only one. Now, a genuine expert, Ju
My Sincerest Apologiesby tristeroDear readers,Recently, I wrote a post criticizing Sam Harris. When it received many negative comments, I wrote a follow-up post defending my criticism of Harris.  And
Tragedy Befalls A Dictatorshipby ddayThe destruction from the cyclone in Myanmar is so widespread that the country is asking for outside help.  For context, Myanmar was battered during the tsunami and
Sam Harris Reduxby tristeroI must admit to being a bit surprised at the amount of disagreement with my earlier post on Sam Harris. Several posters asserted that I had taken Harris' rhetorical question
Nixonlandby digbyA few years back, I read a book about the Goldwater campaign that changed my view of conservatism. It was called Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Con
Building The Peaceby digbyHere's an interesting and informative article from an long time Democratic speechwriter Dan Conley. (He did a very satisfying take-down of Michael Gerson, which I wrote about
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Overby digbyJust when we thought we were out, they pull us back in ...Telecom companies have presented congressional Democrats with a set of proposals on how to provide immunit
Deal And No Dealby ddayThe good news - President Bush and top Democrats have the framework of a deal that would provide us with a working FEC for the general election.  The bad news - it's an exceedin
Bush's Terrorist Has A Coming-Out Partyby ddayLuis Posada Carriles, an admitted terrorist wanted for crimes in Latin America, had a nice dinner the other night....the man being honored by 500 fellow C
Hear Ye, Hear Yeby digbySo I hear that Village High Commissioner Tim Russert declared that we have a Democratic nominee. The Town Crier, Drudge, immediately followed with an official announcement  The
Errol Morrisby tristeroOn Abu Ghraib and Torture: Abu Ghraib was not just one cell corridor and a few MPs with cameras. By the end of 2003, it was a de facto concentration camp in the middle of the Su
The Obama Partyby ddayOn Saturday, in over 100 locations across the country, the Obama Vote for Change campaign will roll out with kickoff events all over the country designed to register and mobilize
Has Politics Jumped The Shark?by digbySex? Yawn. Politics? That’s Hot!A FORMER editor of People magazine had some hard-and-fast rules: young is better than old, pretty is better than ugly, television
Bush Dogs Dig War, Don't Dig Returning Vetsby ddaySo the House was supposed to vote on war funding today, which I didn't exactly support.  What I did support was extending unemployment insurance and v
Preventing Children From Hearing The Controversies Over Evolutionby tristeroIt's true, and I'm not joking. I mean it. There are  scientifically valid  controversies over evolution . Furthermore, scien
The Iraq Treadmillby ddayAfter a day of top-of-the-fold headlines that the Iraqi military had captured the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq (and all by themselves, too, see they can police their own country
Read "The Obama Party"by tristero As I finish editing this, I am aware that there is a lot going on in the world that requires more immediate  attention than ruminating about something so minor as int
Saturday Night At The MoviesSky high Fe: Downey carries the torch for Iron ManRobert Downey Jr. forges a head.By Dennis HartleyAlthough it’s about a month too early according to my calendar, the seaso
FDL Book Salonby digbyThe Good Fight“Ours is a time of great political disaffection, and I understand it, because so far in this new century, we have failed the people of this country. We’ve got a lot
Signs of Christianist Desperationby tristeroSo it looks like a group of rightwing nuts are going to challenge the IRS over the tax status of churches that endorse specific candidates:The Alliance Defe
Grave Appearance Problemsby digbyA decision by a military judge on Friday to disqualify a top Pentagon official from any further role in a Guantánamo war crimes case was a major new challenge to the B
How To Play The Gameby ddayThis is honestly the saddest news item I've seen in the whole of the Bush Administration.So the Congress has taken the Bush Administration to court to enforce subpoenas of o
There Is No They Thereby digbySteve Benen points to more self-serving media navel gazing:Harwood explained that the McCain campaign, in a move that “many Republicans would find ironic,” is pushing the
We're Chillin'by digbyI realize that a good many people think I'm living in cloud cuckoo-land, but apparently a large majority of the Democratic party is drooling and delusional right along with me:Pu
Long  Answers To Stupid Questionsby digbyQuestion: Do I agree that Hillary Clinton is a racist and why haven't I disavowed, renounced and rebuked her?Answer:  No I do not think she is a racist and I h
The Log In Our Own Eyeby tristeroPZ Myers links to a story of truly monstrous religious madness: "Two weeks after The Observer revealed the shocking story of Rand Abdel-Qader, 17, murdered because of
Show Us Your Papersby digbyAnd so it begins:The battle over voting rights will expand this week as lawmakers in Missouri are expected to support a proposed constitutional amendment to enable election
The Wave Buildsby digby.... even in Mississippi: DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following  statement on Travis Childers' victory in the special election runoff in  Mississippi's  1st Cong
The New Face Of Californiaby ddaySomething really special happened today in California and I thought I'd mention it.Today, Karen Bass became the new Speaker of the California State Assembly, the first
Make It Workby digbyd-day wrote an interesting post last night about the Bush Justice Department's legal opinion outlining what kind of power the legislative branch has to stop an out of control Execu
Global Test IIby ddayFour years ago, Bush defenders got a lot of mileage out of a comment that John Kerry made in the third Presidential debate.No president, through all of American history, has ever
A Little Bit At A Timeby digbyOne of the most frustrating things about the authoritarian house that Bush built is the argument that you have to trust them, they're only doing it to "keep the country s
"Minitruths" And Big Liesby digbyGabor Steingart in der Spiegel online has been an interesting observer of the presidential race.  I haven't always agreed with him, but he brings a different perspecti
Beaten With A Stoveby digbyThe ACLU has obtained some more sickening documents:"These documents provide further evidence that the torture of prisoners in U.S. custody abroad was not aberrational, but
Not Our Problemby digbyI hate to interrupt the ongoing flag pin and orange juice obsessions, but this seems like a big deal to me:Troops dug burial pits in this quake-shattered town and black smoke po
Unitary Flyboyby digbySo McCain declares Mission Accomplished in Iraq --- in 2013. Yea.  War is over. Someday. Maybe.Even more good news.  McCain also says he's going to be different than Bush and be
Basic Civil Rightby digbyIt's a proud day to be a Californian: California's Supreme Court today struck down the state's statutory ban on same-sex marriage, finding the state's constitution "properly m
A Question For Robert Kaplanby tristeroYesterday, Robert Kaplan in the NY Times: discusses, in all seriousness, the possibility of invading Myanmar to get aid to the victims of the cyclone. He conclud
Here We Go Againby digbyThere's a big voter disenfranchisement scheme unfolding in Missouri this week.  It could be a very big problem --- they want it in place before November: Missouri, the battlegr
Friday News Dump Alertby ddayDemocrats held the line and Hans von Spakovsky is out as FEC Commissioner.President Bush's contentious nominee for the Federal Election Commission has yanked his name from
Don't Know Much About Historyby ddayChris Matthews' brutal takedown of some robotic wingnut yesterday was notable simply for how easy it was.  Apparently asking a conservative to define the words comi
Winning By Losing by digbyLast night I had the great pleasure of hearing Rick Perlstein read from Nixonland here in LA. There were many interesting questions and among them, naturally, were some about
Saturday Night At The MoviesChicken chucker, arms dealer, Brit killer: Voila!By Dennis Hartley“I was woken by a guy screaming on a tower. I couldn’t sleep. I had to shut him up.”(Shocked tone) “A muez
A Conundrumby digbyI'm curious as to what you might think about this:While much of the Congressional political focus has been on the declining fortunes and numbers of House Republicans, House Democrat
This Is My Favorite Week Everby ddayIn the comments of the last post, Jemand von Niemand ran through some of the week's highlights.On May 15th, the Senate cast a near-unanimous vote to reverse the Fed
The Wisdom Of The Ancientsby digbySome of you may remember me writing about my conservative Dad --- retired military, very right wing, very political. He's the type of guy who thinks General Curtis Le
Practically Lactatingby digbyI looks like they're going to go back to this well one more time:"It was remarkable to see Barack Obama's hysterical diatribe in response to a speech in which his name was
Color Blindnessby tristeroForgive a totally personal rant here, but dammit, I can't be the only one who finds this rather annoying and, in some circumstances, potentially hazardous. This is a post abo
Fitting In Fasterby digbyOne of the enduring right wing shibboleths about immigration is that immigrants just don't assimilate like they used to. It's not true: Immigrants of the past quarter-century
Main Coreby digbyI have heard some rumbling from readers lately that the blogosphere's obsession with illegal spying and torture and the like is somehow an "elitist" concern that will be detrimental t
A Majority Of Better Democratsby digbyThere has been a lot of chatter over the week-end about the apparently startling notion that Democrats winning in conservative districts might produce more conser
Turn Out by digby   Primary turnout NOT a record, study says           Despite a surge of voting in many states, national primary turnout this year is falling short of the record, set in 1972.  Overal
Paper Trainingby digbyGlenn Greenwald has the run down on a new campaign to educate Chris Carney's constituents about his unAmerican activities. He's not going to like it: A major new ad campaign aime
Life's Workby digbyI'm very sorry that Senator Kennedy is facing the challenge of brain cancer and I hope he will have a full recovery.  My mother died of the same thing many years ago and it's a toug
McCain's Lobbyist Problem Goes Mainstreamby ddayEver since John McCain implemented new rules that should have forced him to fire his entire staff, and ended up in him actually firing his convention ma
Market Stalinismby tristeroHeebies, meet Jeebies.Just in case you thought Digby's post on Main Core  was too, too outlandish to be true, some weird paranoid fantasy from a Pynchon novel... read  Naomi
What Glenn Saysby tristeroIt's hard to improve on this, so I won't try:...Those who were most responsible for selling this devastating and grotesque war to the public -- and O'Hanlon and his "Brooking
You Can Believe Usby digby... or you can believe your lying eyes.It's been quite amusing reading and watching the media absolve itself of sexism over the past few days but I think it's getting a littl
Stuckby ddayBob Gates says we're stuck with that Guantanamo prison.  Just nothing we can do about it.Mr Gates told a US Senate hearing: "The brutally frank answer is that we're stuck. We have a seriou
Sistani's Veto Powerby ddayWe have the potential for a major problem in Iraq.  As Shiites jockey for power, the most prestigious cleric in the country is sensing the value among the population of figh
Apostate Linesby digbyI must admit that even with my dark and unrelenting cynicism toward the media I'm a little bit shocked to see op-ed pieces appear in quick succession in two of the nation's most
Unleashing Hellby digbySo I hear that Tim Griffin has abandoned his quest to become a fearless crime fighting lawman to go back to being the nasty dirty trickster he was born to be:The Republican Nati
Secret Health Data News Dump Of The Weekby ddayJohn McCain wants to pretend he's being forthright about his medical condition, while dumping the data on the Friday before Memorial Day and controlling
See You In Septemberby ddayAre people really going to fall for this again?Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in the war in Iraq, said that he expects this fall to recommend additional cuts
A Mighty Howlby tristeroToday, Somerby makes a point that can never be made often enough: There is something seriously, profoundly, institutionally wrong with the way our political news is reported. H
Fishers, Hunters, And St. John McCainby tristeroPlease watch this incredible video, compiled by Bruce Wilson and consider the dreadful fact that American politics has sunk so low that a major party's
Governator Gigglesby digbyI still can't stop laughing whenever our California Governor speaks (as he is this morning on CNN.).  I know it's not fair.  He can't help it that his entire career prior to
Are We Clear?by digbyIf John McCain goes ballistic every time he's mildly criticized by Barack Obama, this is going to be a much more interesting campaign than I thought.  Yesterday Obama said this:I
"We don't know what we got."by tristeroGood morning! Are you sitting down?In one case, according to documents displayed by Pentagon auditors at the hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and
Saturday Night At The MoviesStandard Operating Procedure: Wish you were here                                  Auschwitz staff, 1944 (Holocaust Memorial Museum)
Swooners In Heatby digbyBob Somerby has a barn burner up today about  man-crushes that is not to be missed. He particularly excoriates Kurt Anderson for an appearance on Charlie Rose this week in whic
Cheap Insuranceby digbyGlenn Greenwald writes today about all the money the telcoms have spent on lobbying this year, (quite a bit more, as it turns out, than the year before if they stay on pace.) Ju
Marriage And The Secular Conscience by tristeroMy friend, philosopher Austin Dacey, is in the Times today. I've posted before about his book, The Secular Conscience: Why Belief Belongs in Public Life
Bless Their Heartsby digbyRepublicans are so cute:It sounds crazy at first. Amid dire reports about the toxic political environment for Republican candidates and the challenges facing John McCain, man
They Aren't Coming Backby digbyI was going to link positively to Ezra's post today about the Reagan Democrats and Atrios beat me to it.  I agree with the notion that trying to "recapture" the Reagan D
They Have To Earn Itby digbyIn his inimitable unpredictable,  mavericky style, Senator John McCain used the occasion of Memorial Day to defend his unwillingness to support the troops:"I am running for
FUDby tristeroI think by far that Digby is the more street smart observer. I only wish I shared her optimism about the fall.  I do think Obama will win, assuming no rampant voter fraud, but it will be
Recounting Recountby digbyI don't know about you but last night after watching Recount, I had nightmares.  Nightmares of screaming at the television for 30 days at the shameful spin of the Bush people
The Villagers Defend The Perimeterby digbyThere are times lately when I feel as if I'm back in 2003. I'm being told that up is down and black is white and that what i'm seeing just isn't real.  It's a
Real Americans Vs The Othersby digbyMark Schmitt has a terrific piece up today on the state of conservatism and the Republican party and what it's left with after its massive failure under George W. B
Reject Tortureby digbyScott Horton has announced a new initiative that I think is hugely important as we move into the general election season.  It may be the most important foreign policy agenda item
Lieberman And  His Toleration Of The Uncleanby tristeroOne would think that the reality-challenged,  Catholic-hating, gay-hating, and Jew-hating Psychopastor Hagee would be shunned by anyone in nation
With Friends Like Theseby digbyLong time conservative activist Richard Viguerie once wrote this:Sometimes a loss for the Republican Party is a gain for conservatives. Often, a little taste of liberal
Bums Rushby digbyMarc Ambinder notes some of the recent public hand wringing over McCain's lousy campaign and adds some big picture perspective about why this is less about McCain and more about a gen
What A Poor Excuse For A Political Partyby ddayConservatism isn't going anywhere, and I assume the Republican Party will one day get their sea legs again.  But the incompetence and mismanagement that
Lobbyists In The Closetby ddayJohn McCain might have some more dirt in the corners of his campaign that avoided last week's spring cleaning.  In addition to having Randy Scheunemann, the campaign's to
Upon Finishing Nixonlandby tristeroThe by now hoary cliche goes that if you remember the Sixties, you weren't there, the non-too-hidden implication being we were all taking far too many herbal and che
Unreliable Narratorsby digbyFrom what I've read around the sphere this morning, Jessica Yellin made quite a statement last night about her former bosses at ABC or MSNBC news influencing the coverage o
Enthusiastic Puppetsby ddayI didn't pay a ton of attention to the fallout over Scott McClellan's scathing new book because it's not like he has an image worth rehabilitating, and I figure he's already
The Other First 100 Days Priorityby ddayAs Digby mentioned, Barack Obama at a fundraiser said that a priority of his first 100 days would be to scrutinize all executive orderspassed by George Bush and
Lapdogsby digbyIt quite amusing watching  these members of the press dance on the head of a pin trying to sell us on the idea that they didn't actually kiss George W. Bush's ass for nearly six years b
Saturday Night At The Movies: Double FeatureA tonic for summer blockbusters: Two films without gunsBy Dennis HartleyAs we gird our loins for Hollywood’s seasonal onslaught of loud, overproduced and ge
Tonight’s second feature: Sketches of Sydney PollackBy Dennis HartleyI’m sure you have heard by now that we lost director-producer-actor Sydney Pollack earlier this week.He was one of the last of the
What's Up Down There?by digbyI think we all knew that these Gitmo trials were less than just, but they seem to be turning into full blown Kangaroo Courts --- with The Pentagon calling the shots and ch
Mining The Harborby ddayWe've been talking quite a bit about how Bush-Cheney will leave little landmines inside the government, codifying their vision of radical executive power, a hollowed-out set of
Survey Saysby digbyI find this interesting and am curious as to what you all think it will mean for the coming campaign:If John McCain is elected President, 63% of voters say it’s at least somewhat li
Photo Finishby digbyI'm hearing and reading a lot today about how the Clinton supporters are going to ruin the party with their obstinate refusal to acknowledge that Obama has won and threats to vote
A Lethal Limboby digbyHere's a heartwarming story that took place in the greatest country the world has ever known:In May 2007, Victoria Arellano, a 23-year-old transgender immigrant from Mexico, was
Quick Takesby tristeroSuze Rotolo's new book A Freewheelin' Time is a joy on so many levels and in so many ways, it's hard to know what to focus on. If you don't know who Suze is, then buy her book. A
Martyr McCainby digbySteveAudio responds to tristero's observation that McCain's problem with Hagee is that it reveals a craven side to McCain's character --- for seeking out his endorsement and then
Liars Or Foolsby digbyFrom Crooks and Liars comes this gem from Byron York on Fox News Sunday:York: ...  I think the thing that kind of distinguishes McClellan is he was amazingly naive and his belief
Dirt Diggersby digbyThe Center For Public Integrity is doing a four-part series on dirty politics this cycle which is probably a good primer to prepare us for what we are going to be seeing over the n
Wooden Ships, On The Water, (Not) Very Freeby ddayJack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, once said that his ideal factory would be situated on a barge, so it could be "hauled around the world
PsychoPastor Hageeby tristeroA few days ago, I wrote:The crazy, far-right Hagee is no real friend to Israel and I suspect it is only a matter of time, if Lieberman persists on perpetuating Hagee's nat
First Draftby digbyHere's a pretty good example of the media's early post game analysis of the primaries from Gary Langer of ABC.  He outlines all the areas where the establishment believes the candid
Luckie Duckie Black Peopleby ddayIt takes a special dementia and a deep-seated sense of aggrievement to come up with this statement:On the June 2 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program,
Can The Iraqis Save Iraq?by ddayA unified front is forming in Iraq among Sunnis and Shiites, opposed to the terms of the draft of a long-term security agreement to keep US forces in the country.  Muqt
Fear Of Bushby tristeroIn his latest column, Dan Froomkin does discuss that the press was disgracefully out to lunch in the run-up to the disaster known as the Bush/Iraq war, covering the march to war
Codaby digbyApologies for the dearth of postings.  I've been having some technical problems.   Hopefully comments will stay up, too.First of all, congratulations to Senator Obama. This is a truly hist
Pathetic, Corrupt, Spineless Democratic Leadershipby ddayI congratulate Barack Obama on his primary win and think he has the opportunity to bring forward meaningful change in America.  In fact, he can
FISA Zombieby digbyHOUSE CHAIRMAN OPEN TO REPUBLICAN COMPROMISE ON FISAThe House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat disclosed late Tuesday that he is ready to accept a Republican-brokered deal to r
June 5, 1968by ddayI'm the wrong age to have personal knowledge of the shock Americans felt 40 years ago today when they awoke to the news that Robert F. Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Lo
With Friends Like Theseby digbyA couple of weeks ago I wrote about the press swooners and how their ongoing absurdity is going to end up hurting Barack Obama and the Democrats in the long run. I highl
The Secret Agreement Is Only A Secret Hereby ddayTwo big news stories out today regarding Iraq, one about the past and one about the future.  The long-awaited release of the Phase II report showing th
Little Too Littleby digbyWow.  Stop the presses.  Jay Rockefeller finally released the official SSIC's report on whether the Bush administration lied. A long-awaited Senate Select Intelligence Committ
Taking It Personallyby tristeroOnly weeks after 9/11 Steve Dunleavy called me a traitor.  In 2005, George Packer said I had a second-rate mind. Now,  the head of one of Pastor Hagee's scams calls me a
Pilgrimagesby digbySo, earlier this week, Obama and Clinton both appeared before AIPAC and asked for their support. I really don't have the energy for a pie fight, so I'll just say that we are talking
CIC Doesn't Mean What He Thinks It Meansby digbyFDL points out that McCain is dissing Bush big time when he says that nobody should romanticize war.  After all, the guy who trash talked his way throug
So Much For Unreasonable Search And Seizureby ddayMcCain's flip-flop on radical executive power and illegal spying actually happened a few days ago, but I'm glad Charlie Savage elevated it by covering
Old Newsby digbyIn another example of angry, vitriolic, hate-filled left wing blogging, a number of us were writing and discussing, oh four years ago, about the Pentagon loons and how they were in cah
Saturday Night At The MoviesSIFF-ting Through Celluloid: The Wrecking Crew & Sita Sings the BluesBy Dennis HartleyThe 2008 Seattle International Film Festival is in full swing, so I thought that for t
Eye Openerby digbyClinton has officially suspended her campaign and thrown her support to Obama. I'm sure we'll hear a lot of very nice encomiums over the next few days.  The media never loves a Democ
Peace With Honorby ddayIt took me a little while to figure out what this new John McCain ad reminded me of."Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war," McCain tells the camera. "I w
Removing The Impedimentsby digbyBmaz, pinch hitting over at Emptywheel, writes about the latest atrocity at the Gitmo show trials. It's amazing they are getting away with this, but we are all so obses
Heavenly Assignmentby digbyNow this sounds like fun:I spent a few weekends after opening day this year bopping around to 10 American cities, where I ate my way through 12 major league ballparks. My mi
Placebobloggersby digbyFrom lambert at Correntewire, I find out that I've been self-medicating all these years:Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers)
Because He Caresby digbyThis will warm your heart:Newt Gingrich, who led the GOP takeover of the House in 1994, is now coaching Republicans on how to recapture the Senate.The former House Speaker and
Huckleberry Throws Downby digbyI missed the sabbath gasbag shows, so I didn't catch this nasty little jibe:On the June 8 edition of ABC's This Week, responding to Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) assertion th
High Broderists Trot Out 2000 Election Memesby ddayThere is little chance that anyone who pays even a little bit of attention to politics could credibly claim that Barack Obama and John McCain represe
Mute Buttonby ddayDigby already mentioned the scene at Guantanamo late last week, with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed basically playing ringleader and bullying his fellow detainees into ditching their lawyers
Takes One To Know Oneby digbyThe bloviators are having a lot of fun with this story that Ken Starr is going to be defending the town of Malibu against the paparazzi on behalf of local residents who ar
Obama vs Expired Dog Foodby digbyI've posted a number of emails from a friend of mine who works in Democratic circles, whom I call "Deep Insight." Today he does an overview of where we stand as we mov
The Enthusiasm Gapby ddayI know that Digby has on more than one occasion suggested that the hard right, with social conservatives foremost among them, would come back to the GOP nominee in November, b
Trapped By The Case We Madeby digbyThe other day I wrote about the foreword that John McCain wrote for an edition of The Best And The Brightest in which he claimed (among other things) it would be cri
Moral Equivalent Of Warby digbySo, yesterday I quoted John McCain saying that Barack Obama "wants to take us back to the 60s and 70s."  Today, he said that Obama was "running for Jimmy Carter's second
Hand-Tyingby ddayPeople are wondering why the Bush Administration effort to install permanent US bases in Iraq (oh, I'm sorry, not permanent US bases, but military bases that the US rents permanently,
Obama At His Bestby tristeroA few comments:1. Obama is a person who has made no bones about his religious beliefs. Yet, the video shows he is capable of taking a far wider view, an American view, that
Relax? Never!by tristeroI almost agree with much of what Michael Lind says here, but I certainly disagree with why. It's not that the American people merely opposed Bushism, because, in fact, they did
It's Never A Bad Time...by dday...to note Bill Kristol getting something spectacularly wrong.  This is from December 2006.KRISTOL: You know, Bill Clinton won a nomination in 1992 against a weak field.
Back Scratch Feverby digbyYesterday, Howie Klein posted this at Crooks and Liars.  I was going to write something about it as well but decided this says it all, so I'm just publishing the whole thing
The Daily Torture Bulletinby digbyThis one's a little closer to home than some, which doesn't make it more important than the Guantanamo and terrorism cases. But does at least indicate that there migh
Johnny's Little Helpersby digbyThe Democratic primary is just over and we can already see two ways in which McCain's media base is helping him. First, they are obsessing about how much the Republican
Only Vindicationby ddayThis latest gaffe by John McSame is really the same gaffe as the "100 years" comment that he disavowed and claimed was twisted around.  He's saying that leaving Iraq is not the
Straight Shootin' Hackby digbyJust in case anyone still doubted whether John McCain was an unprincipled, slick Republican hack just like the rest of them, you can't find a better example than this:Tod
Fergawdsakeby digbyFrom FDL:Larry Sinclair is one of the most outrageous anti-Obama smear merchants.  So why is the National Press Club hosting him this coming Wednesday?  Apparently Jeff Gannon wasn'
End Of Guantanamo, Beginning Of The Search For Justiceby ddayThe whole point of the Guantanamo prison was to create a space not on US soil that the Administration could make the case was not subject t
SCOTUS Throws A Life Preserver To The Rule Of Lawby ddayI gotta say, I didn't expect this to happen: The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights
A Confederacy of Duncesby tristeroUPDATED BELOWThe Louisiana House of Representatives passed a pro-creationism bill 94-3. It is expected that the Governor will sign if it gets to his office, which is
The Jamby digbyI was having an interesting conversation the other day about music that got me looking over YouTubes of some of my favorite bands of yore.  And, you my friends, are going to have to suf
Under Waterby digbyThe media are busy eulogizing one of the their own,* so they don't have time for this, but Jesus Christ:Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a downtown hospita
Nobody Did Nothin'by digbyThe NY Times takes on the issue of media sexism during the primary campaign and they find that the news media believes it didn't happen.  Those of us who saw it were just a b
The Exorcistby tristeroMaybe everyone already knows this, but I didn't. When he was in college, the governor of Louisiana performed an exorcism on a classmate. This would be hilarious were it not for
Saturday Night At The MoviesSIFF-ting Through Celluloid 2: Half-Life & Blood BrothersBy Dennis HartleyThe 2008 Seattle International Film Festival is in full swing, so I thought that for the next few
Freakshow Reduxby digbyJane Hamsher writes, "Save Us from The Freakshow" but I think we're going to have to save ourselves.  It's obvious that this ridiculous Larry Sinclair nonsense is being ginned u
The Worst Decisionby digbyIf you wondered whether John McCain was a just a partial or a complete jackass before now, this will surely end all speculation:Republican presidential candidate John McCain
Looping Back To Failed War #1by ddayMeanwhile, in that other, forgotten war:About 870 prisoners escaped during a Taliban bomb and rocket attack on the main prison in southern Afghanistan that knocked
Battered Wivesby digbyThe New Yorker is featuring an interesting profile of Keith Olbermann, which isn't particularly revelatory.  He's a complicated guy. But there's a quote from his producer MSNBC S
Dishonorable Dischargeby digbyAndrew Cohen at CBS writes about McCain's extremely aggressive response to the Boumediene decision and makes an observation that's important for all of us to remember as
Teachable Momentsby digbyThis op-ed in the Boston Globe says that surveys show citizens today are more stupid about politics than their 6th grade educated grandparents were. How can that possibly be?M
Chillingby digbyI've been writing about this since 2004, when we first learned that the US was offering  bounties for Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  It's one of the most horrifying thing about
The Supreme Courtby tristeroVamping for a moment on Digby's recent post, I'd like to focus on part of Digby's excerpt from Jack Balkin:No matter whether the Supreme Court is conservative or liberal id
General Smackdownby digbyI've always liked Wes Clark. Here's why:There's a  lot of talk that Barack needs to choose a traditional "white male" for VP.  I'm not sure why.  I guess some people think the
Bill Of Rights OK'd For Destruction By Independence Dayby ddayThere's not a lot more that can be said about this FISA abomination, but you may want to keep up with developments, so here's the latest.H
Jimmying The Narrativeby digbyThe "Carterization" of Obama continues.  I wrote about this earlier and the important thing to remember is that this is aimed at the gasbag crowd, not the public. The med
Congratulations Fellow Citizensby digbyAs dday notes below, today is a big day in California. For the first time ever, gay citizens are going to be allowed to marry. It's hard to believe that anyone t
A Nice Day To Be A Californianby ddayToday at 5:01pm, Mayor Gavin Newsom will officiate a private wedding ceremony between Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin.  At 6:00, Mayor Ron Dellums (yeah, he's back, fo
Good To Goby digbyNew York City is looking to expand it's use of tasers.  Lucky New Yorkers.  Police commissioner Kelly is reluctant to implement their use, though because of this:Stun guns were intro
Letting It Slipby digbyI don't know if this is purposeful or simply an felicitous accident, but it's weird either way:  A GENTLEMAN’S WORDS DISAPPEAR: It begins to seem that Chris Matthews’ words have
An Incoherent Truthby ddayAl Gore endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, and in his remarks he was fairly subtle in stressing the need for a Democratic President to solve the climate crisis and mitigate the
Hoyered By His Own Petardby digbyFrom The Hill:Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) predicted Tuesday that there is enough support within the Democratic Conference to appro
Hissy By Proxyby digbyFergawd's sake.  Here' Chris Cilizza, dutifully ginning up a patented hissy fit for the wingnuts:Using a mother and newborn (an emotional touchstone in our culture if there ever
Hindsightby digbyThe Armed Services Committee is holding hearings this morning on torture. The ranking Republican member couldn't make it.  So he sent his faithful hound Huckleberry in his place.The l
It's Out Thereby digbyDave Niewert does a nice job taking down the latest Obama smear from bottom feeder Floyd Brown. I notice that one of his commenters observes that they "no longer care if they hav
Contact Governor Jindalby tristeroBarbara Forrest of the Louisiana Coalition for Science has sent this urgent email about the latest, and exceedingly dangerous, shenanigans of the creationists. The Lo
You Know The Drillby ddaySo John McCain and George Bush think they've found the mother lode, and have decided that they're going to carry the policy of lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling on A
Whoever We Want Him To Beby digbyI've finally realized what "maverick" really means.  It means someone who takes both sides of every issue but everyone thinks he really means it. (And it helps if the
Shiftless and Lazyby ddayThe floodwaters in Iowa all flowed into the Mississippi River, and now it's a floating hazard running downstream, encountering levees throughout the Midwest and breaching them
Times Contra Domestic Spying Bill "Compromise"by tristeroHeavens to Murgatroyd!The Times stomps the proposed "compromise" that the lily-liver Democrats in Congress are prepared to support with all the
All In The Timingby ddayI'm sure the military judge, in consultation with the Defense Department, threw his Khadr dart at the calendar to come up with this date:Canadian Omar Khadr was told by a milit
Talk To The Handby digbyI'm getting some questions about why the blogosphere is so obsessed with FISA and the civil liberties stuff when it's clear that both sides are equally corrupt. Evidently, it's
Change We Can Believe Inby digby   The Strange Bedfellows Campaign is really gaining steam. The reason, of course, is because we are watching a sell-out of epic proportions happen right before our eye
Let's See What Congress Boughtby ddaySo a deal has been reached on no-strings-attached war funding well into the next President's first year, and all the Democrats get out of it is a GI Bill that isn'
Sistah Soljah'd ?by digbyThere's lots of blogospheric angst today, and for good reason, around this FISA legislation.  Senator Obama's commitment to support the "compromise,"(while promising to "work"
No Hope Todayby ddayWe live in a bipartisan surveillance state.Statement of Senator Barack Obama on FISA Compromise“Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the c
They Were Only Following Ordersby digbyRoy Blunt and Steny Hoyer are practically tongue kissing on the floor right now and congratulating each other on their mutual fabulousness in negotiating the rap
Authentic Nonsenseby digbyAccording to the AP:Overall, the race between Obama and McCain amounts to an authenticity contest.Voters are craving change from typical Washington ways and each candidate is
Saturday Night At The MoviesAllegory, Inc.By Dennis HartleyCusack: Rome is burningIn star/producer/co-writer John Cusack’s pet project War, Inc., one character delivers a throwaway line that must sure
The Dean's Parade of Liesby ddayLike most Villagers wishing to supplement their income, David Broder has taken tens of thousands of dollars, if not much more, in speaking fees from corporate groups an
Portrait Of A Threatened Manby digbyFrom John Amato, here's Cal Thomas (video at the link):    Hall: If they can’t prove he’s a Muslim, then let’s prove his wife is an angry black woman. I think it’s
Cui Bono?by digbyHilzoy disagrees with my post just below, pointing out rightly that Democrats are not known for their fealty to their leader and positing that they may have sandbagged Obama on this.
A Lift In Your Shoesby dday"Religion convinced the world that there's an invisible man in the sky who watches everything you do. And there's 10 things he doesn't want you to do or else you'll to to a
Coming Aroundby digbyHere's some good news. I don't think polls this far out are particularly meaningful, but there is some information contained inside this one that should set people's minds at ease
Twisted Modoby digbyThe NYT public editor Clark Hoyt takes Maureen Dowd to task in today's paper:SOME supporters of Hillary Clinton believe that sexism colored news coverage of her presidential campai
Iced Coffee Klatchby digbyConservatives have always made stupid arguments (supply side economics comes to mind) but in the last few years, as the new wave of conservatives who were whelped during the
"Take Em Out And Shoot Em"by tristeroA threat of murder from Michael Reagan. That's R - E - A - G - A - N, as in St. Ronald's son:Take em out and shoot em. . . . You take em out, they are traitors to
Joseph K At Gitmoby digbyHeck, it's only been six years of his life.  What's the rush?A federal appeals court on Monday overturned a U.S. military tribunal's enemy combatant designation for a Chinese
Putting It Out Thereby ddayIf anyone thinks Charlie Black is sorry for saying this, they're nuts.  This is completely calculated.The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an “unfortunate eve
Seven Dirty Wordsmithby digbyI'm sure there are many great obituaries being written about George Carlin and I won't bother to try to compete. Suffice to say that he was one of the original DFH's and p
Block That Kickby ddaySenator Reid just informed his colleagues on the Senate floor that, because of all the other bills in the queue (like the housing bill, and the Iraq supplemental), FISA may not g
Fraud-ian Slipsby ddayI actually thought that John McCain's "X Prize" for a superior car battery was small-bore, but a decent enough idea, but upon closer inspection it's actually quite silly:I should
Cheap Backscratchersby digbyI've written many times that I don't think money alone explains why the telcom corporations are so adamant about getting retroactive immunity for their illegal deeds. (At l
Survey Saysby digbyCan anyone tell me how this is done?Child-exploitation investigators found something unsettling when they recently took a 30-day snapshot of files being shared through computers in
A Host Of Landminesby ddayI've been saying for some time that the Bush legacy will long outlast January 20, 2009, because there will be midlevel officials, executive orders and the like littered  all
They Like Him, They Really Like Himby digbyLadies and Gentlemen, may I present the Constitutional Sell-out of the year award (brought to you by The Politico and the good people from Depends):The Maryl
Blue on Blueby digbyHere's some more of that hot  dog-on-dog action:Blue Dog Democrats, frustrated that their fight to end deficit spending has been stymied by the Senate, may endorse candidates runni
FISA Updateby ddayIan Welsh at FDL has all the sordid details of the 80-15 vote in favor of the motion to proceed on the FISA bill.  There are now 30 hours of debate available on FISA and I'm sure Sen
Going One Betterby digbyWow. Democrat Barack Obama says he disagrees with the Supreme Court's decision outlawing executions of people convicted of raping a child.Obama told reporters Wednesday that he
The Inspirationby digbyAs the constitutional abuses of the Bush administration came light, we've often repeated the old Nixon quote "if the president does it, it's not illegal." But until I was remind
Dog Ate My Homeworkby ddayIt is a novel excuse, I will say that.The White House in December refused to accept the Environmental Protection Agency’s conclusion that greenhouse gases are pollutants that
Putting The Dogs Outsideby digbyI was doing an interview the other day about groups like Blue America PAC supporting progressive primary challengers and was asked whether this wasn't a useless tilting
Britneyizing Loganby digbyHere we go again with another respected journalist being targeted for daring not to abide by the established village mores. As I noted earlier today, Lara Logan appeared on J
Getting Things Doneby digbyIn an interview on the ABC News Shuffle Podcast today (listen HERE) Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent  Democrat from Connecticut, made his case for the presidential campai
Judging The Crazyby ddayTwo of the three potential Vice Presidential nominees shuttled to Chez BBQ last month for a powwow with John McCain were Mitt Romney and Bobby Jindal.  They're both a real pair
OMG tigr!by digbyMedia Bloodhound caught a perfect example of the Entertainment Industrial Complex doing its best to ensure that Americans stay as uninformed as possible:On June 17, Lara Logan, CBS Ne
Eye Babiesby digbyWhenever people pooh-pooh the actions of the Bush Justice Department, I think of the fact that they actually allowed immature, right wing, religious zealots to do the hiring. As we'v
Yoo And Addington On The Hillby ddayThere's quite a remarkable hearing going on today in a House subcommittee.  David Addington and John Yoo are voluntarily testifying about the torture practices of t
The Dumbest People Aliveby ddayThe right's latest hissy fit is truly a stunner.  I don't know how they found out about the Addington-Yoo hearing on torture, because it certainly didn't make the news,
Don't Speak The Obviousby digbyIt is a matter of conventional wisdom that liberals need to be better at "marketing" their ideas.  Liberals respond by saying our ideas are complicated and meaningful so
Throwdownby digbyGlenn Greenwald and Keith Olbermann have gotten into a dustup over the FISA legislation in which John Dean seems to be the arbiter. (Isn't the blogosphere grand?)Anyway, everyone can
Acid Flashbacksby digbySomerby has been doing an incredible retrospective on the Russert years at NBC this week.  If you want to really dig into an interesting examination of why our media is so incre
Wrong About Everythingby ddayBoy, the wingnuts really don't know what to do about this North Korea situation.  It's really a foreign concept based on "diplomacy" and "incentives for compliance" and ot
A Piece Of Ordnance In Every Potby ddayWe in the blogosphere have been so worked up about the FISA bill that we virtually ignored the fact that the Senate confirmed what the House began, passing an en
Saturday Night At The MoviesIn memory of George Carlin: 7 movies you can’t see on TVBy Dennis HartleyFrisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck-Geor
She's My Mother And My Sisterby digbyConservatives are very confused these days:    HANNITY: The news today brings a clear foreign policy victory for the Bush administration. But will the press report
End Of The Quarterby digbyWe are coming to the end of the fund raising quarter and it's important for these congressional candidates we all support to be able to tell the press they have raised enough
It's Not Her Placeby digbyUh oh. Melinda Henneberger takes note of an important Village social leader making a major faux pas:For years, Catholics have been arguing about who is and is not supposed to
Get Ready For The Mother Of All Hissy Fitsby ddaySo Wes Clark went on Face The Nation today and "went there" - challenging John McCain's constant referrals to his wartime biography which are standing
Some Nerveby digbyFergawdsake:It was probably inevitable that John McCain would abandon his pledge to focus exclusively on the issues, and steer clear of personal attacks, I just didn’t expect it as e
God Save This Honorable Court!by ddayThe Washington Post has an article today about the implications of a McCain victory on the federal judiciary.  I don't think they needed to write it, they could ha
The Center Fetishby digbyGlenn Greenwald takes on the beltway conventional wisdom which says that Democrats must move to the center on national security or risk being painted as weak.  He summons all
Does Anyone Have A Spare Lace Hankie?by digby ...the Village is running short.This is getting really comical.  The LaVyrle Spencer Book Review And Ladies Circle Jerk Society had a conference call toda
What About Lieberman's Remark?by ddayThe unquestionably worst thing about this Wes Clark incident is how it has obscured the rather remarkable statement uttered by a different guest on the very same e
The Grand Hissy Reduxby digbyI suppose everyone remembers waiting for The Man Called Petraeus to come home from the front and give us all a report on the Grand Surge Campaign  of The Great Iraq War. W
Don't Want to Say I Told You So...by dday...but I told you so.I was pretty sure that the press would deliberately misinterpret, intentionally clip and generally get wrong Wes Clark's statements about
“I think we’ve all been demeaned.”by tristeroIndeed we all have,, whether or not we ever saw a Swift Boat. But this is what movement conservatives do with emotionally weighty situations or actions. Th
Doesn't Anybody Know How To Play This Game?by digbyThe McCain campaign did not seem especially eager to put the matter to rest. On Tuesday, two of Mr. McCain’s closest allies — Senator Lindsey Graham,
Wherein I Borrow Armando's "Speaking For Me Only" Phraseby ddayLet me just get a couple things off my chest.1) The AP was flat wrong in its characterization of Obama's speech today regarding changing
Soljahing Onby digbyThis article in Huffington Post suggests that Obama's recent pronouncements (discussed here in great detail by Glenn Greenwald) aren't "real" Sistah Soljah's, in the sense that Bil
Hyperventoramaby digbyFergawdsake:If anyone still thinks this doesn't affect the campaign's ability to take on McCain on foreign policy and the military, I have some Florida real estate to sell you. W
Gitmo Snarkby digby'Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes!But we've got our brave captain to thank'(So the crew would protest) 'that he's bought us the best —A perfect and absolute
Hit Me Baby One More Timeby digbyObama to expand Bush's faith-based programsReaching out to evangelical voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is announcing plans that would expand Pre
Gilberson On Evolution And Godby tristeroI'll give Karl Gilberson considerable credit for clearly articulating the intellectual poverty that is biblical literalism, young earth creationism, and intell
Con Menby ddayRick Perlstein used to call his blog The Big Con, and he explained that modern conservatism was, at its root, a giant con game on its own constituency.Have I got a story for him.During t
How ConvenientBy digbyI think I just heard that John McCain, who just happened to be in Colombia today, was informed of the hostage rescue today before it happened, as was the White House. As Tucker C
Off Strideby ddayAn ABC reporter gave John McCain the opportunity to discuss Wes Clark's comment - the ACTUAL remarks - and McCain went apeshit.  McCain became visibly angry when I asked him to explai
Hersh's Gambitby ddayI've spent the last two days puzzling over Sy Hersh's latest New Yorker piece about the prospect of war with Iran.  There's no question in my mind that the Cheneyites want to be t
Respecting The Stagecraftby digbyVia Discourse, I found these neat Obama bumper stickers. This is a homegrown operation and lots of fun. Just like this one, which may be the best series of campaign po
Whip Appealby digbyFDL has been working overtime the last few days putting together some tools for us to meet up with our Senators on the fourth of July break and ask them some questions about liberty
Nixon vs Bushby digbySwopa, writing over at FDL, has some thoughts on this discussion among bloggers today about why Bush didn't get run out of town on a rail for doing many of the things that Nixon d
Running With The Devilsby digbyGlenn Greenwald linked to a post yesterday in his update that I think is worth discussing in more depth. It's from The American Conservative and it's called "Is there an
It Is Designed To Obtain False Confessionsby ddayTorture as an intelligence-gathering tool is extremely counter-productive and anyone who went to elementary school knows it.  If you found yourself at
Exclusivity, Ay?by ddayThe main talking point that many in Congress, in particular Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi have used to claim the necessity of the FISA capitulation is that under this law, t
Saturday Night At The Moviesby digbyHotter than the Fourth: Movies that make you sweatBy Dennis HartleySince it’s the 4th of July weekend, which usually signifies the official kickoff of summer and al
Who Us?by digbyHere's Gwen Ifill being snotty to a blogger asking a perfectly legitimate question:vastleft:Many people believe the press failed to do its job in the run up to the Iraq war. Has Beltway
Authoritarianismby ddayChris Satullo, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, made the suggestion in his column the other day that, instead of Fourth of July celebrations this year, we should sit in q
Good Old Boysby digbyMcJoan over at Kos wrote an interesting post yesterday using some of the words of Senator Frank Church to explain why giving the government the right to spy on Americans without w
Unpacking A Fragment Of Packerby tristeroIt's just  a throwaway line in a rambling blogpost by George Packer, but it stopped me in my tracks. The background:Unthinkingly, Christopher Hitchens got hims
Meet The New Boss...by ddayMatt Yglesias has noticed that the conservative establishment is not nearly as ashamed of the legacy of Jesse Helms as he thinks they ought to be.  It does seem pretty jarri
Distressby digbyThere's a lot of talk this week-end about Obama's comments on late term abortion to a Christian magazine in which he said that the didn't think "mental distress" was an acceptable exce
Dissing The Manby digbyJamison Foser does a full run down on the Clark hissy fit.  It's looks even worse when you see it all in one place.  What he says here is particularly astute:Let's pause for a m
Still Senator Noby ddayFrom what Sen. Reid's office is saying about changes in the legislative schedule, Jesse Helms finally accomplished something significant in his Senate career - his funeral tomor
Praying For The Tribeby digbyI'm a big fan of the Living Liberally network and their work to bring together like minded people of similar values in social situations.  It's easy for me, living in a pl
Mission Accomplishedby digbyNearly a week after his controversial “Face the Nation” appearance last Sunday, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark is taking a break from the presidential campaign — but many D
Victory Jackpotby ddayJohn McCain let slip his economic plan today, and the big surprise is that oil companies and obscenely rich people are the winners.  No, wait, that's not surprising, but it is th
Never Heard Of Emby digbyAnd so the "independent" attack ads begin in earnest:A newly formed Republican group broadcast its first commercial Sunday in four battleground states as part of a $3 million
He's Losing Sleepby digby ... and sweating bullets over this: Democrats say a group supporting Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) bought television ad time in Virginia that had been released by his campaign t
Political Straightjacketby digbyBob Somerby disagrees with my interpretation of the Clark flap and argues that nobody had ever suggested that McCain's POW experience was a qualification for the presid
McCain Accountability Sighting!by ddayThe New York Times went ahead and, in contravention of all journalistic conventions, particularly with respect to Republicans, actually tried to analyze John McCa
Some Context For The Iraq Timetable Remarksby ddayNow that Iraq's national security adviser has joined the Prime Minister in calling for the US-Iraq status of forces agreement to include a timetable f
For The Recordby digbyBlue America and Color of Change ran a full page ad in the Washington Post this morning  to make one final argument --- plea really --- for the congress to stand up for the const
FYIby dibgyDemocracy Corps has a new report about the state of the election:Barack Obama has slowly moved up to a 4-point lead over John McCain in the race for president (49 to 45 percent) in this spe
Roy Hobbs In The Bottom Of The Ninthby ddayOn a sad day for civil liberties in this country, there is one shining bright spot - Ted Kennedy is back in the Senate. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, battling a br
They Did Itby ddaySo the FISA bill passed.  The three amendments which would have modified the telecom immunity provision of the FISA bill were shot down, with none of them receiving more than 42 vote
McCain Thinks Social Security - As A Concept - Is A Disgraceby ddayIf John McCain wanted to throw the election, he certainly handed his opponent a rhetorical gift.MCCAIN: Thank you very much. I’d like
Open Letter To Scientistsby tristeroDear Scientists,If you haven't read The Origin of Species, go thou, take it and read, and do so this summer. If I can read it and enjoy it, and I'm not a scientist,
Pandering or Senile?by digbyI vote for pandering:And then McCain told a rather moving story about his time as a P.O.W. "When I was first interrogated and really had to give some information because of
Support PZ Myersby tristeroPZ Myers did something politically and religiously incorrect. In angrily responding to death threats against a man who didn't accord the Eucharist proper respect, he ran afo
Go Teamby digbyNEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a landmark lawsuit today to stop the government from conducting surveillance under a new wiretapping law that gives the Bush administ
McCain's Bitter-Gateby ddayBy now you may have heard that McCain's top economic adviser, former Senator Phil Gramm, thinks that all of you pathetic "hard-working people" who don't appreciate the value
Mound Of Parchmentby digbyNo compact among men...can be pronounced everlasting and inviolable, and if I may so express myself, that no Wall of words, that no mound of parchment can be so formed as to
At Least He Doesn't Say "I Don't Recall" A Lot!by ddaySo while the Senate was legalizing warrantless wiretapping and granting Bush and the telecoms immunity yesterday, that nice Mr. Mukasey had a meet
What You Don't Know Can't Hurt Youby digby.... until it does. All I can say is thank gawd it's Friday:Crisis Deepens as Big Bank FailsIndyMac Seized In Largest Bust In Two DecadesIndyMac Bank, a proli
Nasty Boysby digbyBen Cohen at Huffington Post takes a little trip in the wayback machine:The video shows Bush at the absolute peak of his arrogance -- convinced of his own rhetoric about Iraq, floode
This Makes Me Sadby digbyHave we really dumbed ourselves down so much in this country that presidential candidates have to apologize for saying that children should learn things? ABC News' Sunlen Mill
The Lurchby digbyCommenting on Obama's unexpected fund raising problems, Atrios observes that with the exception of FISA, Obama's "run to the center" is not substantial but that such theatre can affec
The Honor Of John McCainby ddayJohn W. McCain is holding a women's-only town hall event today in Wisconsin.  He talked about how he's committed to "equal pay for equal work" but he sung a different tu
Saturday Night At The MoviesThe edge is still out thereBy Dennis HartleyNo fun to hang aroundFeeling that same old wayNo fun to hang aroundFreaked out for another dayNo fun my babe no fun-The Stooges"
Surfing With Floatiesby ddayJohn McCain is aware of the Internets, but only dimly:He said, ruefully, that he had not mastered how to use the Internet and relied on his wife and aides like Mark Salter,
Tales From BushWorld, William Donohue Editionby tristeroWilliam Donohue, president of the Catholic League, claims he speaks for Catholics, but he only speaks for himself and his fellow lunatics. Real
Brave New Worldby ddayAt some level I suppose it's futile to expect Nero to do something other than fiddling, but it's the manner in which they went about this that's so frustrating.  Feeling unsatisf
The Liberal Village Speaksby digbyI know this will come as a shock to many of you, but so-called liberal political pundits think other liberals should STFU.What is their problem? News reports suggest
No Good Deedby digbyIn a moment of supreme blogospheric irony, Correntewire, a blog recently known for its skepticism about Obama, is being threatened by some conservative law professor for characteri
Packer's Iraq Problemby tristeroAnonymous sent me this comment on  Packer's recent article about Iraq and Obama:With regard to Packer, I had not read his latest piece until just now.  Packer is an exc
One Of The Good Onesby digbySupreme court analyst, Linda Greenhouse, is retiring from the NY Times and I think it's going to be very, very difficult to get along without her.  She is the best writer a
The Reverse Clarkby ddayJohn McCain's campaign had to distance himself significantly from Phil Gramm this week, even suggesting that they're no longer on speaking terms.GERSH: Is Senator Gramm still g
When Centrism Is Goodby digbyAs people who read this blog know, I've been disappointed, considering his great gift for rhetoric,  that Barack hasn't taken a more creative approach to appealing to the
What Catholics Are (Ideally, And Sometimes Really) Aboutby tristero[UPDATE: As they say, good deeds do not long remain unpunished. You try to say something nice and conciliatory and you end up with eg
Whither Afghanistan?by ddayIn Barack Obama's op-ed on Iraq today he pledged to commit additional manpower and resources to Afghanistan.Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goal
Muslims And Militantsby digbyThere is a lot of chatter today about the New Yorker cover, which is pleasing, I'm sure, to both the magazine and the right wingers. My feeling is that it isn't particular
SOFA Taken To The Trash Heapby ddayOver the weekend, US negotiators in Iraq signaled that they would not be able to reach a long-term status of forces agreement for what amounts to a permanent occupat
Mourning In Americaby digbyJonathan Schwartz reminds me that Jimmy Carter delivered a televised speech on July 15, 1979, 29 years ago today. He spoke of many things, but the most important was about t
Funny Businessby digbyThat McCain is quite the jokester:The blog Rum, Romanism and Rebellion pulls out a 1986 Tucson Citizen article recounting a joke about rape told by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Speak
Serious Peopleby digby...making very serious money, guiding our political discourse and determining for us who is allowed to lead our country:Continuing Fox News' war of words with MSNBC, "Fox News Su
Still-President Bush Still Causing Harmby ddaySo the President vetoed the bill stopping cuts to Medicare payments to doctors today, despite the bill receiving more than enough votes to override (in fa
"Help Me"by digbyThis makes me feel so safe:A 16-year-old captured in Afghanistan and held at Guantanamo Bay sobs during his questioning, holding up his wounded arms and begging for help in a video re
David vs Goliathby digbyHere's a little newsflash from Chris Cilizza of the Washington Post:Progressive Group Slams Freedom's Watch in Robo-CallsBlue America, a  political action committee composed of
McCain Running The Zachary Taylor Campaignby ddayI mentioned this on my site, but it's important to ponder how John McCain either doesn't believe in recording equipment or has so much faith in the peo
Torture And The Villageby ddayI have a ridiculously long post on torture and some of the revelations we've seen this week, in the Jane Mayer book, the Omar Khadr tape, etc.  But I wanted to reiterate
Getting Out The Messageby digbySo, as expected, Regina Thomas lost her primary challenge against Blue Dog incumbent John Barrow last night. And this morning I'm hearing a lot of the usual talk from th
See, We Triedby ddaySome may be pleasantly surprised by the news that Bush is sending the #3 at the State Department for talks with the Iranians on their nuclear program (Coverage in WaPo and NYT), bu
The War On Fuckingby tristeroThere's something wrong with these peopleThe Bush administration wants to require all recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse
Boo Hoo Hooby digbyApparently it's perfectly fine to spend your money to deny people equal rights, but if others decide to withhold their money in protest of your actions, they are big old bullies:A h
Good News?by digbyThis is a double edged sword.  It's good to get major coverage, but it depends on what kind of coverage it is.  We have no way of knowing how this will be reported:Senator John McCai
How The Media Learned To Bend Over Backwardsby ddayOK, so welcome to the main exhibit hall, where we just had a debate between Markos and Harold Ford. (who defended the Congressional vote on FISA by b
Send Karl Rove To Jailby ddayI'm watching the premiere of Meet The Bloggers, a brand-new Web-only issues and answers chat show, at the main hall at Netroots Nation.  Marcy Wheeler, Baratunde from Jack
Greetings From The Fuck Panelby ddayHey, so hello from Netroots Nation in Austin.  I'm sitting in Digby's panel on language and rudeness and horrible vituperativeness on the Internets.  So I'll try an
Bored Independentsby digbyThe good news is that Obama's fund raising and enthusiasm advantage remain formidable. We're going to win. Unfortunately, the hunt for the elusive Independent vote doesn't se
Saturday Night At The MoviesPunk is a feeling: The GitsBy Dennis HartleyViva Zapata: Mia and her fans, circa 1991Back in the fall of 1992, I moved to Seattle with no particular action plan, and someho
My Interview with Bob Barrby ddayYou may know that Bob Barr has arrived at Netroots Nation.  He bought a one-day pass and decided to mingle with the assembled conventioneers.  And he drew a crowd.  I
Jess Folksby digbyJamison Foser has a good column this week about the Village media's obsessive desire to help the Republicans depict Barack Obama as some sort of exotic freak that "regular people" (a
The Maliki Primaryby ddayThis is pretty enormous news:In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible."U.S. president
Who Needs Eggheads?by digbyI'm under the weather and don't have the energy today to delve into this article about Leah Daughtry in today's NY Times, but I will point out that it's fairly startling to
Louie, Do You Like Movies About Gladiators?by digbySometimes they pretty much just come right out and admit that they have issues:Real Men Vote for McCainTop 10 reasons why.By Lou Aguilar1. Barack Oba
Prima Donna Bloviatorsby digbyNow here's some trivial, insider gossip made just for us blogofascists.  Who are the most loathed cable gasbags among their peers? Well, it's the usual suspects, with a c
Anatomy of a Noise Machineby ddayAs I'm slowly rotating back to blog life, I'm focusing on this Maliki/withdrawal story, because it's of course really important, but the response from the right-wing n
Great Gameby digbyI don't pretend to be an expert on Afghanistan, but I do know that it has been the definition of "quagmire" for hundreds of years for Western powers. It's a strange, impenetrable cou
TGFTiVoby digby...or I would have missed this, from Todd Gitlin. Imagine! Almost an entire installment of Meet the Press devoted to an interview with a private citizen who is not running for office—wh
Just Say Noby digbyCongress should explicitly declare a  state of armed conflict with al Qaeda to make clear the United  States can detain suspected members as long as the war on  terrorism lasts, U.S
Central Frontby digbyThis stuff worries me:"There is security progress, but now we need a political solution" in Iraq, Obama said in the first news conference of his highly publicized trip abroad. Afg
Accountability Momentby ddayThe capture of Radovan Karadzic was a great day for human rights.  He was the leader of the Srebenica massacre, and his arrest shows that the International Criminal Court c
Charming Patriarchsby digbyOver two years ago, Maria Hinojosa of NOW on PBS did a story on father daughter purity balls.  I wrote about it and it remains one of the most linked posts I ever did. Peopl
Younger Than Springtimeby digbyI love this. Via Maha, I see that right wingers are now arguing that Obama is too young to be president. The man is 47 years old. Old enough to be a grandfather.  (But h
Unpardonableby digbyD-Day wrote about this the other day, but I think it's worth further discussion. There's chatter about Bush issuing pre-emptive pardons to all those involved in the illegal interro
Could You Be President?by digbyTake the quiz:Global knowledge1. The split between Sunni and Shia, the two main branches of Islam, is approximately how many years old?a. 700 yearsb. 1,100 years.c. 1,40
Drill Now! Pay L- Oops.by ddaySo John McCain decided to head out on an oil rig in Louisiana to prove once and for all that we need responsible, environmentally safe drilling to lower gas prices (even
Homegrown Tortureby digbyJust remember, tasering is harmless.  You can get up and walk away afterwards, so there's no harm no foul.  Unless it kills you. Just like waterboarding.A police officer shock
I Am Now Become Death, Destroyer Of Worldsby ddayNovakula started a new day job as The Grim Reaper this morning, and apparently he's not so good at it:Syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak was cited by
Sweet Neoconby ddayIt's a long list, but yesterday could very well have been the stupidest day of John McCain's campaign, and he has brought the stupid in ways so reminiscent of the national catastrop
Pressing The Pressby digbyBob Cesca at Huffington Post notices that the press has all adopted a new word: presumptuous:And today, the word of the day in the corporate press is... presumptuous. Used in
Political Participation - The Real Fascismby ddayJesse Taylor at Pandagon had a remarkably insightful piece today about the wingnut carping over the Barack Obama speech in Berlin, the media reaction,
Don't You Dareby digbyThe ACLU has put together an action to try to stop this dangerous notion of the congress "declaring war" on Al Qaeda and terrorism.  You can sign up here:Tell Congress: Reject En
The Editorial Museby digbyWhoops:Some of the reporters traveling with Obama were surprised upon landing to discover their editors in something of a frenzy. The reason: Drudge is using terms like "chao
The Surge Began In March 1867by ddaySo to follow John McCain's logic, everything positive that's ever happened in Iraq is part of the surge, even those occurences that began well before the actual inc
Nice Trickby ddayI guess conservative bloggers are pitching a fit because Obama didn't pay his respects to the troops at Landstuhl AFB in Germany.  That might be because the Pentagon nixed it.I've jus
Christmas Warmongerby digbyOh Lordy:Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) tells People magazine in the issue out Friday that he and his wife, Michelle, do not give Christmas or birthday presents to their two you
Hide The Rabbitby digbyFollowing up on DDay's post below about the press corps' pique that they aren't getting enough access, I can't help but be reminded that we all know exactly what the press wants
Codpiece Delusionby digbyLike so many of you, I have long thought that electing McCain is a third Bush term.  His differences in policy really are minimal and his temperament is equally arrogant and a
The Frowning Sourpusses On The Busby ddayDigby writes about the press turning back on Obama out of sensitivity to the "liberal media" label.  And that's true.  So is the fact that they are small-c con
Saturday Night At The MoviesKnight and the cityBy Dennis HartleyI love this dirty town.Psst…Have you heard? There’s this new Batman movie out this summer. Rumor has it that it might have legs. Persona
Legal Disenfranchisementby ddayA lot of people are talking about these allegations about Karl Rove's role in stealing Ohio in 2004.  Certainly worth paying attention to and following up.  It's just as
They're Just Kiddingby digbyThese Obama people are funny:Obama's vice presidential search team has floated the name of a former member of President Bush's first-term cabinet, Agriculture Secretary Ann
Such A Mean Old Manby digbyIn true Nixonian fashion, McCain ramps up the politics of resentment:In his weekly radio address, McCain said, "this week the presidential contest was a long-distance affair
Style Sheetby digbyVia Nathanrudy at DKos, I see that the NY Times has done another story on female bloggers --- and published it in the appropriate place --- the Style section.  Because if there's on
Dearly Belovedby digbyThe Michigan wedding of Durango newlyweds Andy and Ania Somora came to an abrupt end last weekend after the bride and groom were tasered by local police and spent their wedding n
Old Faithful Eruptsby digbyWe all know it's bullshit, but like so many other zombie narratives, here's an old perennial stomping its way through the graveyard ready to snatch the souls out of anybody
Speaking In Codeby digbyI haven't finished Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals yet, but so far it's the probably the creepie
Fanboy Interrogationsby digbyDahlia Lithwick has a great column in this week's Newsweek about the biggest influence on the thinking of members of the Bush administration in regards to its "interrogati
Sandbaggedby  digbyI thought this was a little bit too convenient. The military sandbagged the Obama campaign with this troops visit nonsense. They'd better get used to it and prepare for it.  The mil
Last Year's Fashionby digbyOne of the most annoying aspects of the faith based movement in politics is the extent to which some of the lobbyists for the Religion Industrial Complex are willing to twis
This Too Is Terrorismby ddayA man in Knoxville, Tennessee walked into the Tennessee Valley Universalist Unitarian Church, which had a newly hung sign up welcoming gays and lesbians into their congrega
Working The Kewl Kidzby digbyThe minute I read Ben Smith's report last Thursday that Obama had "refused" to visit the wounded soldiers, I wrote about it and suggested that it could have some legs. If
The Goodling Legacyby ddayThe DoJ Inspector General released the findings of their investigations into the politicization of hiring at the Department, particularly by Monica Goodling and senior staff.
My Godby digbyThis is so terrible it makes me want to vomit:KY 3 News' Sara Sheffield reports on an injured teen from Ozark, Missouri who was tasered up to 19 times by police.  Passing motorists calle
The Power Of Sustained Memoryby ddayDigby called attention to this stunning excerpt from Jane Mayer's new book, where she reveals that DoJ lawyers (and from context, this could be Jim Comey and Jack G
Media Industrial Complexby ddayTurns out Ron Fournier, now heading the Washington bureau of the AP right into ruin, had another job offer on the table prior to that:In October 2006, the McCain team ap
Tzatzikiby digbyWolcott on the Laura Ingraham flap:Alas, K'Lo does her heroine no favors hailing Ingraham's cool aplomb in a post titled "Laura, the Cucumber Queen." In today's climate of innuendo, 'C
Why They Hate Usby digbyI don't have it in me today to do another full take-down on Richard Cohen, although he  surely deserves it.  Just read this vapid pile of drivel and judge for yourself. The onl
Taser Atrocity Of The Dayby digbyHere's a story about a couple of people dying in taser related incidents:A Statesville man died after being shocked multiple times by Tasers at the Iredell County jail
Party Like It's 2005by digbyI don't know how many of you say Nancy Pelosi on The Daily Show, but it was a bizarre performance, particularly this part:Q: Is Congress, as it is made up today, obsolete?
His Favorite Thingby digbyPresident Bush must be having the best day of his presidency.  He got to do his very favorite thing for the first time in seven long years: sign a death warrant. And he got t
It's Not An Indictment, It's A Series of Tubesby ddayJust so you have a receptacle for comments since it's the story of the day, here's the scoop on Ted Stevens, who's going to need a bigger Hulk tie:
Good Readingby tristeroI have my head down trying to finish a new, big piece (about which more in a week or two) so sorry for the lack of posts (although Digby and dday have been posting plenty of gre
"As many loyalists as possible."by ddayToday the Justice Department's Inspector General, Glenn Fine, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss Monday's report showing serious violation
Dog Day Rolloutby digbyJust a little reminder.  It was precisely this time of year in 2004, the lull before the Olympics and the conventions, when they rolled out the swiftboat smear.  It's when the m
On Dogwhistlesby digbyI've been getting a flurry of odd, disorienting criticism for suggesting that the right's use of the word "presumptuous," (which the lapdog media is eating with a spoon)   is a r
Miscegenation Dogwhistle Watchby ddayWow, this is just transparent.There's no reason to include Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in this ad.  None.  It hangs on the word "celebrity" being included, whi
Jaw On The Floorby tristeroI don't read MoDo much anymore. I have far more important things and enlightening things to do, like watch a pot of water come to a boil on the stove. But for some reason, I
Village Meritocracyby digbyAt least he didn't get any kind of affirmative action.  That would be unfair:The late Tim Russert's son will take up a family tradition for NBC News, helping to cover the De
Obama Clarkby digbyI was disheartened when the village succeeded in chasing Wes Clark out of the campaign. He's a good guy who brings a necessary combination of military credibility and progressive va
Meet The Bloggersby ddayI've been invited to co-host the first segment of Brave New Films' "Meet the Bloggers"  Web video show tomorrow.  It's basically Meet The Press with thinking people.  The guest
Scrubbedby digbyLook what's been scrubbed from the McCain campaign website.  (Here's the google cache)NEW YORK (AP) - Republican Sen. John McCain said he will officially enter the presidential race ..
Innoculationby digbyThese guys are on a roll: "Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong."Here's their evidence,
The Right To Be Offensiveby tristeroEd Brayton is right. This is an excellent description of the recent Myers affair. Briefly, what happened was this:A fellow attending Mass decided that, rather than
Not That It Mattersby digbyDavid Riley at Businessweek notices that McNasty is McNastyWhat the McCain campaign doesn’t want people to know, according to one GOP strategist I spoke with over the weeken
McNasty's McNastyby digbyHere's a story in tomorrow's NY Times about McCain's new hatchet man's very special talents. He's earning his money.Mr. McCain’s campaign is now under the leadership of member
"Our Man Ailes"by digbyPuke: RUSH: What are...? (interruption) Interrupting for what?THE PRESIDENT: Hello!RUSH: Oh, jeez. The president?THE PRESIDENT: Rush Limbaugh?RUSH: Yes, sir, Mr. President.THE P
That Was Quickby digbyThe Republicans stage a little hissy fit and to anyone not paying close attention it appears that they got instant results:Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Fri
Sam's Club Conservatismby ddayTim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, is pushing this idea that government should just run like Sam's Club - using sweatshop labor and locking employees inside the store o
Pity Partyby ddayYou know, I go do one little Web video show and all hell breaks loose on the House floor.  This is a hissy fit especial. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned th
Anorexic Starlet Watchby digbyThis is rich.  Apparently, Barack isn't a Real American because he's healthy:Speaking to donors at a San Diego fund-raiser last month, Barack Obama reassured the crowd th
Afghanistanby digbyThis isn't good:American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan’s powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afgh
Mystery Solved?by digbyApparent suicide in anthrax caseBruce E. Ivins, a scientist who helped the FBI investigate the 2001 mail attacks, was about to face charges.August 1, 2008A top government scient
Saturday Night At The MoviesThe case of the cracked case-cracker: Mad DetectiveBy Dennis Hartley“When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam. I looked into the soul of the boy sitting besid
Negative Appealby digbyThis is anything but dispositive, but it probably does indicate who the McCain campaign was aiming at with their snotty, negative ads:Small study suggests McCain ads lampooning
Oiled Up And Ready To Goby digbyOne of the points I probably failed to adequately make on my Netroots Nation panel with Perlstein, Atrios and Krugman about the media's relationship with the right is t
Keeping It Unrealby digbyI was listening to McCain's Urban institute event yesterday (during one of the many marathon discussions of "Obama played the race card") and thought I had misheard something
Shut Up Whinersby ddayDana Milbank printed lies in his article parroting the "presumptuous" narrative, got caught, and now can't face the facts.In a July 31 washingtonpost.com online discussion, Dana
The Oneby ddayAt this point you may have seen this Web ad that the McCain campaign put out, using fabricated quotes and contextless remarks to make some kind of muddled "argument" that Obama fancies h
Fancy Celebritiesby digbyI happened to be nosing around my archives looking for something unrelated and was reminded of the "Fancy Ford" web site that the Republicans put up against Harold Ford in his
David Broder Sets The Tableby digbyI've said it before and I'll say it again: for the past fifteen years we've seen the Republicans act like a bunch of crazed Visigoths sacking Rome and David Broder u
The Jackie Robinson Rulesby digbyIt turns out that a majority of Americans think that Obama was racist for saying what he said but McCain's ads weren't.  It would seem that the most recognizable form
Going Independentby digbyYesterday I wrote about the different ways the two candidates are trying to appeal to independent voters: Barack with his appeal to post-partisan compromise and McCain with hi
How Convenientby digbyVice President Dick Cheney will not make an appearance at the Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul next month, according to sources in his office. Cheney has not sought
Follow The Moneyby ddayI think we're finally starting to see some traction on John McCain's ties to the corporatocracy, in this case Big Oil.  It takes a candidate ad to put these things into the medi
FYIby digbyThis is a very interesting article in today's LA Times by polling expert Nate Silver about the state of the election.  He talks about the reasons that Obama seems to be under performing the
FNB Politicsby digbyPerlstein dug up his prophetic essay from March 2007 about the character of the coming Republican presidential campaign:Faggot. Nigger. Bitch. Please excuse the blunt language. Fro
Smears R Usby digbyBob Somerby has a good column out today calling out liberals for emphasizing that the campaign has a racial subtext when Democrats are always portrayed as presumptuous, arrogant eli
Twists and Turns in the Anthrax Caseby ddayThere is a very coordinated push to leak details about the late Bruce Ivins to certify that he is the "lone nut" anthrax killer, details which don't entirely
Taser Atrocity Of The Dayby digbySwissvale officers responded to calls for a man acting erratically and trying to enter houses.One resident on that block said Andre Thomas had knocked on some doors, y
Ambition Has A Dangly Bitby digbyJaana Goodrich (aka the fabulous Echidne of the Snakes) has a must read article in today's Alternet about the "inner glass ceiling" that people have recently ben telli
Capital Cautionby digbyMike Lux writes over on Open Left about the reflexive caution of the campaign and knowledgeably speculates about why it's happening:I fear that, at least for the moment, the Cap
More "Lone Nut" Pushing By The FBIby ddayGlenn Greenwald beat me to today's update on the anthrax case, showing pretty conclusively that the FBI's case, which is being dribbled out slowly, just doesn'
Knowing Ourselvesby digbyThe Wall Street Journal published this interesting article a few days back about how people respond to pollsters and what pollsters are doing in this election to control for b
Comeback Storyby digbyMalevolent right wing hack Alex Castellanos has written an epic article today explaining why everyone suddenly has "doubts about Obama" (as this headline declares, linking to two
Hear No Evilby digbyI think one of the enduring mysteries for tinfoilers about the Iraq war invasion must be, "why didn't they plant WMD?" My guess is that such a dangerous mission would require far t
Captain Courageousby ddayAides organizing President George W. Bush's trip to China for the Olympics considered having him worship at a house church, one of the underground religious institutions that
Could This Be The End For The Schloz?by ddayIt takes a lot for Bush's Justice Department to investigate one of its own.  But that's exactly what's happening in Washington, as the politicization of the
Where's Vicki?by digbyOn a day when  thoroughly depressing tabloid drivel  hits the stands, it's probably a good time to once again ask the question Kathy G has been asking for months: why are the tab
Overexposureby digbyPew has a poll out today saying that nearly half the country has "Obama fatigue"As he has since January, this week, Barack Obama enjoyed much more visibility as far as the public w
The Very Best Hiresby ddayI was very pleased to see this yesterday.Obama for AmericaDear --Help Protect the Vote Real change only happens when new people enter the political process and make their voi
Paris Drinks McCain's Milkshakeby ddayI think Chris Bowers is absolutely right - Paris Hilton's response to John McCain's celebrity ad has turned the tide of this race to a certain extent.  Actually i
Meeting Of The Mastermindsby digbyIt looks like Missouri is ground zero for election stealing symposiums this summer. Tonight we had the exciting panel with Hans Von Spakovsky and starting tomorrow th
Good Newsby digbyFrederick Clarkson at Talk to Action reports: There was a controversy recently, when Jim Wallis and allied evangelicals proposed "abortion reduction" as a central feature of the Democ
Groceriesby digbyHuffington Post has a copy of a leaked McCain campaign memo:John McCain was widely ridiculed several weeks ago for fielding reporter's questions in the cheese aisle of a grocery store
Seven Years For This?by ddayOne of the most absurd trials in American history ended today when Salim Hamdan was sentenced to 5 1/2 years for "providing material support to terrorism" in his capacity a
Trolling For Fun And Profitby ddayYou knew somehow it would come to this.  John McCain's campaign is offering their supporters redeemable points to troll websites and write pro-McCain comments.  It's
Still At Itby digbyFollowing up on dday's post below, check out what a reader just forwarded to me:Back with a Bang: Election Law Issues in 2008Worried about more ACORN voter fraud in 2008?  Concerned
Real Womenby digbyI just noticed this post by Attaturk making note that "I've Never Been To Me" was written 31 years ago.  And I feel the need to share the lyrics of this epic song so you youngsters w
The Wilmington Factorby ddayYesterday Digby mentioned that John McCain's campaign has a plan to visit a lot of grocery stores and paint Obama as a "job-killing machine" to even out the economic gap be
Make Republicans Madby digbyI've been writing a lot about police abuse and one of the things I keep forgetting to mention is that if you care about civil liberties and the threat of the American polic
The Rulzby digbyI realize that everybody gets excited about sex scandals.  It's human nature.  But it's important to keep in mind that John Edwards didn't even come close to winning the nomination and
The Good Old Daysby digbyMike Barnicle and Doris Kearns-Goodwin chatted earlier this week about those halcyon days of the civil war when bipartisanship reigned and the country wasn't divided like it i
When Phyllis Schlafly Met Hans Von Spakovskyby digbyA reporter for the St Louis Post-Dispatch attended the Von Spakovsky vote stealing seminar yesterday:Last evening, the subject was election fraud, t
No Apologiesby digbyMayor Cheye Calvo got home from work, saw a package addressed to his wife on the front porch and brought it inside, putting it on a table.Suddenly, police with guns drawn kicked in
Saturday Night At The MoviesSwing voters and Nixon callingBy Dennis Hartley“If daddy punches a chad, an angel gets his wings.”With less than 100 shopping days left until The Most Important Election Da
Oh Heckby digbyIt looks like the soap opera is going to continue. I hate this stuff.  As I wrote yesterday, I think it's human nature to be fascinated by the foibles of important people.  There's an i
Covering Mean Mr Mustardby digbyThat's the thing about covering John McCain. Someone always wants you to give him the benefit of the doubt.If you haven't come across this article on John McCain by a r
A Good Argument by digby ... for homeschooling:The president of a school safety consulting firm said districts like Uniontown Area, which is considering arming its police officers with Tasers, have to
Presidential Peakingby digbyMaybe it would have been better to just say no:Although it must have been a thrill for Mr. Bush to shake hands with Kobe, Mello, King James and Coach K, it's difficult to i
Access For Accoladesby digbyThe Man Called Petraeus is back to stroking right winger journalists again: A soldier and scholar like Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, knows hi
All American Insultby digbyCokie Roberts said today that Obama shouldn't be going on vacation anywhere that has the "look of a foreign exotic place" and should go to Myrtle Beach instead. Apparently,
The Nonexistent Crisisby digbyI've written before about the "voter fraud" page on the RNC's web site.  They are "collecting stories" about voter fraud around the country. A reader informs me that thei
Just For Funby digbyI've often posted emails from a rightwinger who calls himself "The Intellectual Republican" and sends around his thoughts on various issues.  This one is about Princeton sociologis
What's The Matter With Georgiaby digbyThis situation is very difficult to unravel, but at this moment it appears that the Georgians miscalculated and the Russians are using it as an excuse to overthro
It's Time To Talk About Katrinaby ddayThere's been a lot of reflection on the fact that Barack Obama's nomination as the Democratic Party's candidate for President will fall on the 45th anniversary of
Freedom Fightersby digbyI saw this NYT op-ed from the Secretary of State in Connecticut and just couldn't figure it out. WHAT is the secretary of Veterans Affairs thinking? On May 5, the department le
Dialing For Health Careby digbyHealth Care For America Now is going to be an important group over the next year as Democrats roll out some kind of national health care plan. (We hope...) regardless of
Glitzyby digbySome of you may recall a post I wrote some time back riffing on a TNR article about Republican strategist and social maven Ed and Edwina Rogers and their house called Surrey Hill.I think
At Least This Means He May Have Figured Out How To Use The Internetby ddayJohn McCain's statement today on Georgia, ripped off from Wikipedia.First instance:one of the first countries in the world to
Hello?by digbyNot that logic has played even the smallest role in the current debate on drilling, but this really seems like an important point, at least politically: While the U.S. oil industry wants
Calling Their Bluffby ddaySomehow, the reporting on this has been very thin, but it's extremely significant that the Iraqi government is gradually but insistently extracting the concession of a firm t
Georgia And Other Stuff On My Mindby digbyI've been casting about all week-end trying to figure out how to write something about the political implications of the two presidential campaigns' responses
Rolling In The Mud With Pigs: The Sickening Sequelby digbyIs there anything this POS can say in public that will make family values Republicans like the entire Bush family finally say enough? LIMBAUGH
The New Battlegroundby ddayWith an uninspiring candidate, an enthusiasm gap and a host of fundamentals against them, obstruction and suppression is really all the Republicans have left.  You can see e
Furrinersby digbyOn Sunday Cokie Roberts implied that Hawaii was too foreign and exotic for Obama to vacation there and suggested that he should go to Myrtle Beach.  Today, Nancy Pelosi says that she'
The Scooter Effectby digbyI can't tell you how shocked I am:Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Tuesday rejected the idea of criminally prosecuting former Justice Department employees who improperly u
Trojan Donkeysby digbyI hear that members of the Religion Industrial Complex are taking credit for the abortion plank in the platform, even as they are vowing to change it.  (Apparently, they want mor
Neocon Train To Georgiaby digbyIt would appear that the Russian crisis is winding down. I guess Putin proved that you don't want to mess with Moscow. (Maybe Bush really did see into his soul --- and s
The Power Of Not Being Reviledby ddaySo Russia starts bombing targets inside Georgia, the United States huffs and puffs to no avail.  Then French President Sarkozy hops on Easyjet and stops off in Mos
There Will be Bloodlustby digbyFollowing on my posts of the last couple of days about how the neocons will use this Georgia crisis to its political advantage, here's an interesting Q&A with an expert
Obamacans And Eldersby digbyI've been wondering  about this too: ...are there enough rank-and-file Republicans whispering their support at Obama rallies to actually make a difference on Election Day?I
I Will Resist The Evan Bayh Puns...by dday... but I will not resist registering my disapproval.When I first heard all the speculation around Evan Bayh as a Vice-Presidential pick I thought that was a
Presumptuous Maverickby digbyYglesias says:[I]t looks like Mikhail Saakashvili thought it meant something when John McCain proclaimed America and Georgia to be identical:“Yesterday, I heard Sen. McCai
Summer Of Drummersby digbyHere's a must read essay by Harold Meyerson in today's Washington Post.  It puts the Russia-Georgia-China Olympics events of this week into the proper perspective, I think, w
Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolfby ddayEither we're ruled by idiots, or we're ruled by people who think we're idiots, but either explanation is no excuse:The Bush administration suggested yesterday th
More Civilized Behaviorby digbyFollowing up on my earlier post about "civilized society" here's one to make you really wonder how some people can look themselves in the mirror without throwing up. Fro
Even The Kangaroos Were Offendedby digbyIt's not as if the military commissions are filled with a bunch of bleeding heart liberals --- this guy must be very, very bad for this to be happeningFor a sec
De-Swiftingby ddayThe Obama campaign has pretty much figured out that the current media landscape is going to give credence to the same set of prevaricators and liars that they allowed to shape the el
Back From The Slimeby digbyI know that comment sections of MSM stories are often sewers, but this one, about the tragic shooting in Arkansas yesterday,  is particularly vile. For those of you who don'
Civilized Societyby digbyVia TChris at Talk Left we get the news that a police officer has actually been charged in a taser death. Apparently the cop shot the prisoner full of electricity nine times a
Happy Anniversaryby ddayFollowing on Digby's post about seniors being the lagging demographic for Obama in this election (and really the only one - the myths of his struggles with Hispanics, women and
FBI - Federal Botching of the Ivins caseby ddayAnyone who was paying attention knew it was going this way:Federal investigators probing the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks recovered samples of human hair
Tomorrow's Causeby digbyKevin says:I'm willing to bet that a decade from now, far from being seen as the first step in reassembling Russia's old empire, the Russo-Georgian war will be virtually forgot
Heckuva Job Bushieby digbyJoseph Galloway has written a thoughtful overview of the situation in Georgia and the broader implications for McClatchy today: Although Vice President Cheney bravely rattled
Gore Reduxby ddayIf Ceci Connolly has a spare moment from whatever she's doing right now, she could certainly write up this and start an enduring narrative that lasts until November.This week, 16 mont
They Just Noticedby digbySome of us have been gobsmacked by this since the beginning of the Georgia crisis but it took a whole week for The Washington Post to finally write something about the fact th
Saturday Night At The MoviesDancing in the dark: The Killing of John Lennon and ControlBy Dennis HartleyThis week, I’m taking a look at two “small” films of note that you may have missed which are now
Mainstreaming Crazyby digbyThe Jerome Corsi book seems to have been effectively rebutted by both the campaign and Media Matters.  But I think that there are a couple of  important things about this ar
Head Fakesby digbyI have to say that I'm really losing interest in the VP race at this point.  It's always tedious, but this year has been especially excruciating. (Kerry chose on July 6th, 2004.)  He
More Pinocchio McCainby ddayThis is the kind of ticky-tack nonsense that defined the 2000 election.Walter Isaacson asked John McCain about McCain's inexplicable love for ABBA. McCain played the POW ca
Chutzpahby digbyFrom Raw StoryThe Real Truth About Obama Inc., a group formed by anti-abortion activists, is trying to establish a Web site and air radio ads. But the group's attorney says his clients
Debating Debatingby digbyHarold Pollack, pinch hitting for Ezra, reminds me that I need to call some attention to this must read article by James Fallows about the primary debates. Pollack focuses on
If A Nose Grows In The Forest...by dday...and nobody in the media is there to hear it...Last night, John McCain, he of the Pinocchio problem, retold the story for the Saddleback Church congregants abo
Setting The Table For Armageddonby digbyWhere do they get these crazy ideas?Arab world sees Bush's response to Georgia-Russia crisis as hypocriticalThe U.S. president should be 'too ashamed to speak a
Leaving A Man Behindby ddayWhen Phil Gramm called the United States a "nation of whiners," despite the controversy and John McCain's claim that he would now be up for Ambassador to Belarus you absolut
So Many Half-Truths, So Little Timeby ddayJust because I want to keep track of this stuff, here are some more stories providing strong evidence of John McCain's growing problem with telling the truth.
The Gasbag Audienceby digbyPew has published its annual study of the American news habits and it's as interesting as ever:A sizable minority of Americans find themselves at the intersection of these t
The Other Consequenceby ddayI think Digby is definitely right in saying that the hostilities in Georgia will give the neocons another historical incident they will use in the future as an example of h
Little Mary Quite Contraryby digbySo Mary Matalin is now saying that she is just a "consultant" to the Threshhold imprint that put out the Corsi garbage.From Matalin's email to Noah, published in an A
Believe Your Eyesby digbyKevin is right when he says that painting McCain as a rich, hypocritical warmonger is not going to get the job done.  This country has proven more than once that it likes rich
Even Stevenby digbyFoxNews digs deep:Presidential Character & Conduct 2008: Barack Obama    Monday   , August    18, 2008                    Two candidates and one of them will be the next president o
Obama's Big Bet - The Power Of The Ground Gameby ddayOver the past few days, a fair number of high-profile progressive bloggers have been, to put it mildly, flipping out about Barack Obama's campaign
Getting The Job Doneby digbyWhile everyone was celebrating the fact that the media pointed out that McCain's campaign had gone negative, the media was also making sure that everyone saw McCain's negat
Roiling Watersby digbyHere's a startling headline:Wholesale prices rising at fastest pace since 1981I'll defer to the many highly qualified economist bloggers out there on the details, but I will say
Why Does This POW Denigrate McCain's POW Service?by ddayFellow Naval Academy classmate and POW of John McCain Phillip Butler is saying the Great Unmentionable.John was a wild man. He was funny, with a
Money Talksby tristeroDigby: If the professionals can't make a strong and creative case for progressive rule after the spectacular Republican meltdown during the Bush years, then it's clear they have
Bad Copby digbyA police officer was accused of inappropriate behavior after his misconduct may have resulted in a dog's death, ABC News reported.  Officer Paul Stephens pulled over Michael Gonzalez fo
Movementsby digbyHere is a fascinating post over at Mother Jones:Is Barack Obama exaggerating when he compares his campaign to the great progressive moments in US history? We asked two dozen writers,
Culture 'O Lifeby digbyFanaticsABC News' Teddy Davis and Rigel Anderson Report: John McCain's campaign signaled on Wednesday that the Arizona senator is backing away from his previously stated goal of
The Choice That Dare Not Speak Its Nameby digbyI keep hearing whispers the last few days from unlikely quarters that Hillary Clinton should be the vice presidential pick. Even the delegates to the con
Drafty?by ddayJohn McCain hears town hall attendee say: "If we don’t reenact the draft I don’t think we will have anyone to chase Bin Laden to the gates of hell," says "I don’t disagree with anything
Go Joe Goby digbyI actually think this would be a brilliant move for McCain --- the village gasbags would be speaking in tongues and writhing in ecstasy at the prospect of this kind of post-partisan l
Sparring Partner?by digbyFor some reason this sounds like it's Hillary to me: In an interview in Chester, Va., the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said he's made up his mind, but he would
2012 Campaign Beginsby ddayThe Man Called Petraeus puts out his first dogwhistle:Gen. David Petraeus is used to controversy surrounding the war in Iraq, but his publicized thoughts on an Army chaplain
Wall Street Ratby digby ....fuckers. This one is too good to pass up -- be sure you read the punch line after the excerpt via Reuters:California's attorney general is reviewing a request by former emp
The Gloves Are Off For Goodby digbyIt would appear that McCain has started the fall campaign a little bit earlier than they might have planned due to their candidates' unfortunate habit of being a foo
A Noun, A Verb and POWby digbyHuffPo:Facing a Democratic Party positively giddy over his recent admission that he didn't know how many houses he owned, John McCain quickly returned to a political trum
Rich Is A State Of Mind, Dudeby digbyFollowing up on dday's post below --- and the meme that is sweeping the blgoopshere this morning --- McCain's inability to remember how many houses he owns isn't t
The Bill O'Reilly Of Politicsby ddayI know how many houses I own (that would be zero).  That's the difference between me and John McCain.Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that
Armistice?by ddayNot exactly; three years is a long time.  But while we've been hearing that the US-Iraq agreement on troops would have a "general time horizon" (as John Stewart said, something you mo
Waiting For ...Whateverby digbySo the gasbags are all convinced it's Biden.  Who gives a damn at this point? If it isn't Jesus Christ or Elvis, it's going to be a letdown.Anyway, if it is Biden, here'
American Dream X-Tremeby digbyRichard Blair at All Spin Zone writes today about how the right successfully paints the Democrats as elites.  I found this image illustrating McCain and Obama's tax plans
Two Front Warby digbyAs anyone who reads this blog knows, I don't have a lot of trust in some of the newest residents of the Big Democratic Tent.  I just get the feeling that they don't have a lot of
Stalkersby ddayCNN has a shot of each potential Vice-Presidential candidate's home up, with another camera staked out at Midway Airport in Chicago.  It's exceedingly weird, as if they're waiting for O
The Hits Just Keep On Comingby ddayAnother ad from Barack Obama on The John McCain Show:Hilariously, the McCain campaign put together a new ad today as well, and it opens with - I kid you not - "Celeb
Taxesby tristeroKrugman:Mr. McCain wants to preserve almost all the Bush tax cuts, and add to them by cutting taxes on corporations. Mr. Obama wants to roll back the high-end Bush tax cuts — the cuts
Still At Itby ddayWe often chronicle the voter suppression and intimidation machinations from the right.  There's also the use of US Attorneys to investigate Democrats at fortunate times for their Rep
Saturday Night At The MoviesLike one of his earlier, funnier filmsBy Dennis HartleyAy, Mama.Dare I say it? Woody Allen’s new film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, is his wisest, sexiest and most engaging ro
Not That It Mattersby digbyThe news media has been so riveted on the tiresome non-story of the vice presidential pick that this piece of interesting news passed with little comment. Dan Froomkin unpac
Bidenby digbyOne final word on Biden Day. When Al Gore named Lieberman in the summer of 2000, I hung my head for a good long while and nearly cried.  It was a sign of total capitulation to the right w
Visual Conventionsby digbyHere's an interesting little piece on the producer of the Democratic convention. He sounds like he knows what he's doing.  But I have to say that I completely disagree with t
Working Class Hero?by digbyI can't help but recall an email I received a few years about Joe Biden. I had written some rude remark about him --- he's long been one of those blogospheric punch lines fo
Kewl Kidzby ddaySetting aside the merits of Joe Biden for a second (short take: he fits the traditional attack-dog model of a Vice President to a T), late last night as the news nets were announcing t
Old schoolby Dover BitchOver at his new base of operations, the Washington Monthly's Political Animal, the prolific Steve Benen (he has to be a robot) brings up the impolitic age issue:Interestingly e
There will be no honeymoonby Dover BitchOn the eve of the Democratic Convention, I think it might be a good idea to remind ourselves what happened after the last one and prepare ourselves for how quic
Thomas Frank (and Those Pesky Footnotes)By BatocchioVia Rick Perlstein, here's Thomas Frank illustrating points from his new book The Wrecking Crew with a brief video tour around the D.C. area:(I grew
Where there's smoke, there's Segrettiby Dover BitchDigby and dday are in the Mile High City, but here's a view of the convention coverage from closer to sea level. When the news broke last week that t
Denver Impressionsby ddayWell, yesterday was uneventful for me.  Just getting in and getting my bearings around the city.  The first thing I saw was a parade of four pickup trucks full of cops riding
Everything Helps McCainBy BatocchioMcCain likes to mention himself as part of the "Reagan Revolution," but his greatest legacy from Saint Ronnie may be his Teflon coating.  On ABC's This Week, Mark Ha
Hillary Nightby digbyClinton did a great job last night, as I expected.  She's a pro. Her supporters were ecstatic in the hall, cheering and crying.  I was standing with a group of Obama supporters wh
The Sporting LifeBy BatocchioMuch of our political coverage amounts to gossip and bad sports commentary.  When the Obama campaign rebutted McCain's "celebrity" attack ad with one of their own, the AP
Try decafby Dover BitchYou can always tell an election is nearing. The ads start airing during your shows. The bumper stickers become more visible during your commute. And Joe Scarborough begins his g
Devaluing The Familyby digbyThis is, of course, nothing new, but Karl Rove has once again proved himself to be a total jackass:I don’t think she did too well on saying I love America. That wasn’t adeq
Thanks But No Thanksby digbyFollowing up on Tristero's comment below, I understand that some of the gasbags have come around to the idea that the Democrats can't go after the Republicans because the A
Avoiding Bushby tristeroThe latest news from Iraq:A suicide bomber killed 25 people in an attack on a line of would-be Iraqi police recruits outside a police station in Diyala Province on Tuesday, Ira
Who's Our (Sugar) Daddy?by digbySo I appeared on a panel about the blogosphere and the media yesterday morning with Arianna Huffington, Chris Cilizza, Jonathan Alter and ... Gregory Maffei? When I was
Class Actby digbyFrom Wes Clark:Dear Friend, I'm in Munich right now, but I can't tell you how ready I am to head to Denver and join my fellow Democrats. The Democratic Party is ready to lead and addr
Biden Nightby digbyI've been taking part in a poll done by the National Journal all week.  They asked us which of the following things Biden should do in his speech:Tying McCain to the Bush administra
Rulzby digbyIt's a village law that whatever rules are normally applied to politicians are never to be applied to Bill Clinton. A sub-section of that law is that whenever he adapts to their laws, they
The Needy Rich and the Unwashed MassesBy BatocchioThe New York Times magazine recently ran a lengthy piece on Obama's economic approach by David Leonhardt.  I'll be interested to read more reactions,
Report Like It's 2002by tristeroThe headline is reassuring, if you care whether your tax dollars are being used to fund war atrocities. It says U.S. disputes 90 civilians killed in Afghan airstrike. T
Impostorby Dover BitchBeyond the usual pleasure of reading one of Digby's dispatches, I was happy to read this morning's anecdote about the Hillary supporter who was ready to work hard to get Barack O
Village Fairby digbyI know this will not come as news to any of you, but there is something truly wrong with Maureen Dowd. She obviously wrote most of today's column before she heard the speech --- or
Cokie's WorldBy Batocchio(King Louis XVI and courtiers at Versailles in Ridicule, 1996.)Has anyone heard yet whether Cokie Roberts approves of the stadium venue for Obama's acceptance speech?  Has Col
This is not a blog postby Dover BitchAnother day, another McCain advisor thrown under the bus for accidentally telling the truth about his candidate's indifference to the struggles of ordinary America
Waiting For The Oneby digbyFWIW, John Judis has a comprehensive take of the state of the campaign that I think is worth reading.  It doesn't take the good TV moments at this convention into account (o
My New Causeby digbyI think this could be the slam dunk post-partisan issue we've been looking for:more information on the grassroots political campaign that's already threatening to eclipse both Ron
McCain POW BingoBy BatocchioEven if you didn't see John McCain's interview this week with Jay Leno, you may have read about this exchange:LENO: For a million dollars, how many houses do you have?McCAI
There's A Storm Brewin'by ddayWell this could be just awful.Energy companies on Wednesday braced for the worst storm to threaten the U.S. Gulf of Mexico oilpatch since 2005's devastating hurricanes as
Massiveby Dover BitchThe McCain team is ready for their close up.DENVER (CNN) – John McCain has decided on his running mate and will officially reveal his pick on Friday in Ohio, multiple sources tell
Protest Politicsby digbyI haven't been able to keep up with all the protests outside the convention, but here are a couple of posts,  about them, the second with footage.  I haven't seen any pepper sp
The New Nixonby ddayThere's quite a lot to say about Sarah Palin.  There's actually quite more to say about Barack Obama's magnificent speech, but John McCain kicked the soccer ball and the media herd
Initial Thoughts On The Last 24 Hoursby tristeroObama's speech was the greatest I have ever heard live by a major politician, both in terms of content and delivery. No wonder McCain wanted to, and did
Go longby Dover BitchLike most of America, I can't say I know much about Sarah Palin. But here's a few instant (yes, you could say knee-jerk) reactions to today's news that she's on the ticket with Jo
Time For Them To Own Their Failureby digbyI am traveling today, so I won't have the time to really delve into the speech, the convention etc until tomorrow probably. Barack Obama said a lot of great t
Saturday Night At The MoviesExtreme Zen: Man on WireBy Dennis HartleyI’m up on the tightwireflanked by life and the funeral pyreputting on a showfor you to see-from “Tightrope”, by Leon RussellOn the
Proud To Be An Americanby ddayDespite attending the DNC convention, the presence of protesters wasn't all that prominent unless you knew where to look.  The security presence was palpable, and there d
The One Part Of The Hurricane Response Republicans Won't Screw Upby tristeroIn a post earlier today, Digby noted that for Republicans,  " A big disaster is a big opportunity. " Indeed it is:Officials
Not A Good Signby digbyRepublicans still run the state, so if there are any "discrepancies" in November,  they will have the levers of power.  Again:Florida often is the butt of election jokes, and In
Making Them Do Itby digbyI have written a short wrap-up of "the progressive moment" at the Denver convention over at The Big Con:In casual conversation and formal addresses, from health care to foreig
Oh Noby digbyFrom Moira Whelan at Democracy Arsenal:With NORTHCOM taking the lead on briefing the public, it’s clear the Bush Administration wants to send the message that everything is under control.
Contest!by digbyBlue America is having one, and you can participate.  Here's Howie:Today’s the first day of a week-long Blue America contest, I’d like to invite you to participate in. Some of our cand
Maverick Momby digbyI'm back now (luggage is lost, naturally) and I've had some time to talk to my friends in Alaska and review what's being said about Sarah Palin. Here's the most interesting thing:
A Man, A Plan, A Leveeby ddayPanamanian strongman John McCain has this idea that, by halting most RNC convention activities and sending Bush and Cheney home, he will be seen as a noble warrior fightin
Tase R Nationby digbyIf you're not following the story of these raids in Minneapolis, you should be.  Of course, you can be forgiven since the news media feel it's necessary to give Bobby Jindal hours
In The Eye Of The Stormby digbyIt's great seeing President McCain on CNN  speaking directly to the country, directing the convention and the hurricane efforts and all, but I would think even the media
Erratic Prisoner Of The Right Wingby digbyWorks for me:KERRY: [...] And now, now, George, you have a choice, where John  McCain has proven that he's not a maverick, he's erratic. He's crossed the  lin
Advice From Dr, James Dobsonby tristeroFrom Adolescent Rebellion by Dr. James Dobson: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health surveyed 11,572 teenagers to determine which factors were mos
Yes, Sarah Palin Was Vettedby ddayIt certainly doesn't seem like it, given the stories that have emerged within the past 48-72 hours.  But she most certainly was vetted, only not by the McCain campaig
Slower And To The Leftby ddayAs I hoped, Hurricane Gustav changed course slightly, moving to the West and away from New Orleans, and the storm downgraded to a Category 2 storm upon landfall.  The eye
Operation Hype The Hurricane: The Main Eventby tristeroAs I mentioned two days ago, it is truly sickening to perceive Gustav as a marketing opportunity, but that is the way Republicans act. And that i
Sandy Berger With Papers Down His Pantsby ddayIn 2004, practically the entire Democratic convention was overshadowed with story upon story of former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger grab
Frederick Of Hollywood Speaksby digbyIt's good to have him back.  He seems to have had a couple of cups of strong coffee ---  he's not so gaunt and he sounds a lot more alive that during his glorious
Let The Hissy Fit Beginby digbyThey're working the refs, hard. And the "Librul Media" are on the defensive:Time's Mark Halperin has posted an advance copy of the cover of US Weekly magazine, the tablo
"That Damn Flag"by tristeroThe Sarah Palin story gets more and more sickening the more you find out about her.  Turns out the founder of the secessionist group Palin and her husband joined - the one d
Republican Revolutionaryby digbyI mentioned the other day that I went to school in Fairbanks Alaska and I still have a lot of ties up there, so I have some knowledge of the strange Alaskan political w
Another Telling Palin "Misstatement"by tristeroLet Somerby explain how Palin "basically lied" about one more thing she's done. The story has an interesting twist at the end:In this passage from Friday
Ladies And Gentlemen, Please Welcome Back Phil Grammby ddayPlease keep talking.Former Texas Senator Phil Gramm, who stepped aside as John McCain's campaign co-chairman in July after an uproar over com
Defying His Mortalityby digbyI can see that everyone's been vastly engrossed and downright obsessed by all these revelations about Sarah Palin's bad parenting, reproductive decisions, daughter's sex l
"U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rates Are Down Primarily Because Teens Are Using Contraceptives Better"by tristeroGuttmacher Institute:Eighty-six percent of the recent decline in U.S. teen pregnancy rates is the
Sharks Patrol These Watersby ddayWhen I last left the Internet for a delightful Labor Day barbecue, the questioned raised about Sarah Palin were merely the stuff of blog comment sections and the like.
Palin Hearts Federal Earmarksby tristeroSarah Palin, we hardly know ye! But I suspect that unless she is forced out by the McCain campaign, what we've learned about her in the past 24 hours or so - he
The Speechby digbyI expect that a lot of people on both sides of the aisle were surprised that Palin didn't run out on stage dressed like Ellie May Clampett, chomping on a wad of  tobacco and talking
American Idolby digbyFrom Mojoblog:Why the American Dream Is Bigger than Palin or McCainBelow is a guest blog entry by economist and MoJo author Nomi Prins:At some point today, (around the time I noti
Low Blow Libsby digbyIt seems liberals are circulating some chain emails of their own these days.  It contains no claims of Palin being a Druid or a terrorist. Her family issues aren't mentioned. It's
Off The Reservationby ddayThe McCain campaign is going to war today, trying to throw a hissy fit over the coverage of their VP pick, claiming that the librul media and the "angry left" (ah, what a joy
Let The Battle Beginby digbyThis is it.  The Obama campaign is going on the offensive with a flat out liberal appeal on a culture war issue. No more mushy post partisan nonsense.  I am very, very impr
Blue America Contest Updateby digbyGetting back to progressive work for a minute (I know --- dull, dull, dull) here's an update on the contest we've been running all week, from Down With Tyranny:Last
Phase Twoby digbyMaverick makes the pivot. From the Weekly Standard:John McCain spoke to staff and advisers working in the campaign War Room at the Minneapolis Hilton this afternoon, and forcefully vo
Orthogonian Joan of Arcby digbyIt's obvious to me that McCain picked Palin because she is a conservative Christian who could rally the base and activate the GOTV operation that Rove built while being
Teen Pregnancy: Palin and McCain/Bush Just Don't Get Itby tristeroFollowing up on  my earlier post , I came across this:After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the me
Can O Wormsby digbyMary and Sean fightin' fer decency 'n honor:HANNITY: Let's talk a little bit about the vice presidential choice, Sarah Palin, and your thoughts on her. I can tell you every person t
Teen Pregnancyby tristeroMore Information about teen pregnancy from the truly excellent Marriage and Family Encyclopedia.Societal Costs Of Adolescent ParentingOverall, best estimates indicate that ado
Lieberman Starts With "Lie"by tristerofrom CNN:"Joe Lieberman ought to be ashamed of himself for some of the things he said tonight, not as a Democrat but as an American," adviser Robert Gibbs said on
Competing Reformersby digbyDid anyone know that John McCain was a POW? Wow.  That changes everything...Seriously, I think this election is now framed as the tough old patriotic reformer who will knock
First Pollingby digbySurvey USA is out with their first poll on post speech Palin:Palin Speech Moves Independents: Results of two nationwide polls conducted by SurveyUSA show Sarah Palin's speech at t
Simmering Hissyby ddayBarack Obama was asked about the persistent attacks on community organizing at the RNC last night, and he eventually gets to a good response.I thought the open was a bit defensiv
The Messiah and St Joanby digbyYesterday, I wrote about Palin potentially becoming the Orthogonian Joan of Arc if the McCain campaign succeeds in framing her as a victim of elitist, anti-Christian, wo
Can The Dems Throw A Hissy Fitby ddayI thought Gov. Palin delivered a strong speech that is bound to excite people already inclined to vote for Republicans (and I think the speech was designed more fo
Trick or Treatby digbyNot that anyone cares about this but October is just over the horizon and surprises are always possible.  Pakistan: Uproar grows over first ground assault by US troopsPakistani m
Palin The Extremistby tristero"The problem with you John Birchers' is that you are too damn liberal!" ~ Joseph Vogler, Founder Alaskan Independence Party As we all know, Palin flirted with the secessi
Exactly Rightby tristeroGlenn Greenwald:The Republicans are well aware that they can't possibly win the election if it is even partially decided based on issues. They need and intend to win despite th
More Anti-Democratic Biasby tristeroThis kind of slanted garbage from the media is so ubiquitous that we tend to ignore it.We do so at our Peril.Democrats officially warned Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I
Teen Marriagesby tristerofrom the Times:Studies show that today teenage marriages are two to three times more likely to end in divorce than are marriages between people 25 years of age and older. The
Compare And Contrastby tristeroHere's how the NY Times covered Biden's speech:Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday night with an od
Attack Kittenby digbyBiden:"John McCain is my friend," said the loquacious Blue Hen. "I admire John McCain. I know of no man or woman I have ever met that has more personal courage than John McCain. W
Sacred Tribal Chantsby digbySo I hear the the Wilson Sisters have told the McCain campaign they can't use Barracuda and Brooks and Dunn told the Obama campaign that they couldn't use "Only In America.
Speechifyingby digbyNielsen Ratings*  More than half a million more people watched John McCain’s acceptance speech (38.9 million) than Barak Obama’s the week before (38.4 million). * Regarding the gen
While We Were Sleepingby digbyBatocchio writes in with this tip:I don't know if you saw Froomkin today, but he had more on Pakistan:Well guess what? Sara A. Carter writes in the Washington Times: "U.S
Merry Prankstersby digbyI've been getting swamped with this email, purporting to be quotes from Sarah Palin. It's a joke, which can be easily traced to this site. (I think it got some currency because
OK, That's The Funniest Thing I've Ever Heardby ddayTo a man, everyone on the liberal blogger side of the aisle was stunned that the McCain campaign would allow the TV shot to go out to the world on h
McCain's Afraidby tristeroSt. John McCain is always eager to remind us of prehistoric times, when dinosaurs ruled the earth and he actually demonstrated real courage, But he doesn't want to talk about
Iraqby tristero The situation in Iraq has definitely improved, from unspeakably ghastly merely to  ghastly:Small scale bombings and shootings persist in the capital — each a reminder that the war is n
While We Were Sleepingby digbyBatocchio writes in with this tip:I don't know if you saw Froomkin today, but he had more on Pakistan:Well guess what? Sara A. Carter writes in the Washington Times: "U.S
We Left Himby digbyI think it's pretty clear that McCain's going to get all 14 of the Lieberman's 2004 voters.  Oh well...We Did This To Joe Lieberman  By Jeff Bridges 9/4/08 7:56 AM   Four years ago
Saturday Night At The MoviesFrom crayons to perfume: Top 10 school flicksBy Dennis HartleyIt’s a funny thing. I know that this is supremely silly (I’m over 50, fergawdsake)- but as soon as September r
Populist Go the Weaselsby digbyMichael Kazin, historian and expert on American populism, has written a very interesting article about where we've been --- and where this election may be headed.Populis
Democrats Hate Americaby digbyAlways have, always will. We hate America so hard that we like to throw flags into the trash can (and then throw used kitty litter on top of them!)That's how much we hate
Keeping It Realby digbyWhile we've all been enmeshed in the soap opera of the former mayor of Wasilla and Mean Mr Mustard all week, Howie Klein has been doing something useful --- raising money for Bl
Gentlemen Scholarsby digbyOooh... the next 60 days are going to be really, really fun:From the September 4 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:    HANNITY: By the way, I have what h
Read It And Weepby tristeroShorter Joe Biden:They're gonna win. And I better help 'em.After reading Biden's appalling paean to a man who last behaved well a loooooooooooong time ago, I came across thi
Georgia And The Failure Of American Diplomacyby tristeroThere is a truly brilliant short article about Georgia by George Friedman in the current NY Review of Books. It also includes a simple map [with
Great Pumpkinby digbyI've been trying to suss out what the likely October Surprise might be and recently wrote that I thought the stepped up incursions into Pakistan might be the clue.  But a reader s
Lies And Lyingby tristeroWatch Rachel Maddow tell the truth and call McCain's lies..., well, she calls them lies. Given that the GOP never goes tit for tat but escalates, we can expect, at minimum, 2n
It's The Economy Dillweedby digbyApparently, working class Hillary voters don't think Palin is all that. What a surprise:UNIONTOWN, PA. — Trish Heckman, a 49-year-old restaurant cook and disappointed
Reverend McGrath Gets Evolutonby tristeroThis is heartening:...I was once a loudmouth on the young-earth creationist bandwagon...Is it "indoctrination" if we teach the history of the Holocaust and do
Don't Worry, Be Liberalby digbyThe LA Times featured a piece today about the science of happiness. I thought this part was particularly interesting:Although happiness is largely up to the individual,
The Big Lie Strategyby tristeroNow that's more like it: Gov. Ed Rendell Monday blasted the GOP and Republican presidential nominee John McCain for what he says is their 'dishonorable' attempt to misle
Ad Warsby ddayI am not the kind of person that gets excessively worried from poll to poll, and I do think that the Obama campaign has a strategy for getting out the vote that is significantly differen
Turdblossom On Boardby digbyMcCain's whole campaign is now being waged on the basis of his being "a maverick."  This, if nothing else, should refute that claim:Eight years after helping George Bush de
Fun With Wingnutsby digbyJesus' General writes to a conservative pastor about his call for McCain to die in office so that Sarah Palin might become president[L]ike you, I'd rather see her than John Mc
Self Correcting  Conservativesby digbyYou have all read the latest polls by now, I'm sure, and know that the race is currently anywhere from tied to McCain being ten points ahead. This is a somewhat s
To Those Who Think The US Didn't Encourage Georgia To Attack South Ossetiaby tristeroAs discussed earlier, the blundering "diplomacy" of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney is all over the Georgian war.
Powder Kegby digbyIt seems to me that this would be a exceptionally effective chain email. And it has the added virtue of being true:McCain's history of hot temper raises concernsJohn McCain made a qu
How Many Elections Must Democrats Loseby tristero... until they learn that refusing to attack ALL the elephants in the room is just plain stupid?Am I saying the election is lost? Well, despite Biden's
The Refs Begin To Trembleby digbyLooks like GOP caterwauling has had its effect:MSNBC Takes Incendiary Hosts From Anchor SeatBy BRIAN STELTERMSNBC tried a bold experiment this year by putting two poli
If Onlyby tristeroSo far, I haven't read anyone who's noticed that McCain played the race card  in his filthy lying ad about Obama and sex education. But he most certainly did. Anyway...Of course it i
The Next Hissyby ddaySo here's what the traditional media is going to be talking about for the next day.  Be prepared for it.  It's too stupid for them to ignore.Today at an event in Virginia, Barack
Why The Media Game Is Riggedby ddayWe're finally getting around in the larger blogosphere to something I was flogging a few weeks ago - how the media is failing to apply the same standard to John McCa
Back To Back Bloviationby digbyI missed Obama on O'Reilly and Olbermann last night, but it sounds pretty wild:  Barack Obama competed against himself Monday with interviews airing simultaneously on tw
New Clear Terrorismby tristeroIf Jeffrey Goldberg was right, but he isn't, that the chance of a radical Islamist nuke detonating in a major American city in the next 10 years is between 10% and 50%, t
How To Lose, Lesson XXXIXby ddayCan everybody in the Democratic leadership in the Congress be required to take a political science class?Congressional Democrats have scrapped plans for another vote on
Another Word Bites The Dustby digbyDavid Frum, revered right wing intellectual, accuses Democrats having no credibility of foreign policy.  Whatever.  It's the usual pile of musty old tropes. But this
Celebrity Much?by digbyGosh, it seems like only yesterday the McCain campaign was snorting and giggling like a bunch of juvenile delinquents over their oh-so-clever ad with Britney and Paris.     Char
You Don't Expect Us To Do Our Job, Do You?by ddayIt's really quite an incredible statement.The White House said Wednesday that the failure to capture Osama bin Laden in the seven years since the Sept.
Where Art Thou?by digbyI find it interesting that after years of overt religion hustling that the GOP is dog whistling so cautiously all of a sudden.  They have a true blue social conservative Christi
Kissing The Pigsby digbySpeaking of Village Laws, here's a perfect example of Cokie's Law:The hubbub created by Barack Obama's comment yesterday a lipsticked pig reveal the acute understanding John Mc
Atrios's Lawby tristeroUPDATE:Digby  yesterday repeated an aphorism so true I believe it should be called  Atrios's Law: Even Republicans all know it's full of shit, but they don't care. It pisses off
Cheap And Tawdry Political Trickby digbyFollowing up on dday's post below about the impending Pig 'n Lipstick hissy fit, I thought this was an interesting column about the newfound Republican commitme
Roadblocks In Cheese Countryby digbyThe race in Wisconsin is tightening.  Therefore:A state election official said today a lawsuit by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen would affect more than 1 million
State Of The Raceby digbyHere's the latest in my ongoing series of memos from an insider I call Deep Insight:Under Bush and Cheney, oil and gas, drug companies, defense contractors, insurers and usure
Win, Win, Lose, Loseby digbyI get accused of being unnecessarily gloomy, but I'm positively giddy with optimism compared to K-Drum:John McCain has obviously decided that he can't win a straight-up fig
Spikeby ddayDigby already mentioned the breaking story about John McCain's strong-arming of the DEA to stop them from investigating his wife's prescription drug theft.  Raw Story adds more to the case
Because They Canby digbyThey never quit:Mississippi’s governor, Haley Barbour, and its secretary of state have come up with a particularly cynical dirty trick for the November election. Let’s call it:
Heckuva Jobby digbyBushie:Seven years after 9/11, al Qaida and its allies are gaining ground across the region where the plot was hatched, staging their most lethal attacks yet against NATO forces and
Stop "Helping"by digbyAs we watch the Kewl Kidz pat themselves on the backs for rejecting McCain's horrible lies and distortions, we might consider this before we start writing them letters of appreci
Senator Strongarmby digbyStoller has a scoop:A whistleblower is coming forth against John and Cindy McCain, and the picture he is painting is not a pretty one.  You've probably heard about Cindy McCai
Two Ground Gamesby ddayI've written a fair bit about, and I still believe in, the Obama campaign's leap forward in the ground game, and how this will eventually help them in the final analysis.  The S
Good Old Daysby digbyYesterday, McCain said this at the "Service" forum in NYC and right afterwards Tweety went nuts on it saying that it was evocative of the "good" 60's and thin ties before everybod
Oil Covered Ostrichesby digbySo in her interview with Gibson, Sarah Palin said she believes in global warming.  That's very reassuring. But it's been a damned recent conversion. The AP writes:[I]n the
Lies, Lies, Liesby ddayThe first line of this AP story says it all.Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Friday running mate Sarah Palin has never asked for money for lawmakers' pet proje
Of Course They Cheated And Broke The Truce. Duh.by tristeroSalon:The two presidential campaigns had declared a truce for the anniversary of 9/11. Traditional campaigning, especially of the negative so
Saturday Night At The MoviesDarkness, darkness: My obsession with Ida LupinoBy Dennis HartleyHello, Dali.This week, I wanted to spotlight a pair of lesser-known, under appreciated and previously hard-
What Else is New?by digbyIt's who they are:A conservative political forum on Saturday sold boxes of waffle mix depicting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype on its fr
He Likes Itby digbyFrom his childhood pastime of blowing up frogs to his time as Governor of Texas signing death warrants, George W. Bush showed a penchant for bloodthirstiness.  It continued througho
The Lists You Haveby digbyMy reader JN from Wisconsin writes in with news of the latest vote suppression effort:The state elections agency is investigating complaints about a massive campaign mailing
Feminist Iconby digbySarah Palin was a high school basketball star back in the 1980s and when asked about the gender issues in this campaign by Charlie Gibson, she said this:PALIN: I'm lucky to have b
McCain/Bush/Palin: Completely Unqualifiedby tristeroHere are three truly imminent crises this country is facing. John McCain, like George Bush before him, is completely unqualified to grapple with the
Not A Dime's Worth Of Differenceby digbyThe Republicans have suddenly become concern trolls about "negative advertising"  --- just as Obama's harder hitting ads are getting traction. I'd expect to see
The Right Genuflectionby digbyEleanor Clift writes about McCain and the evangelicals in this week's Newsweek. She claims that it isn't just the Palin pick that has energized the Christian Right, as mu
The Tiberius Gambitby digbyI received an interesting comment today from a reader:A lot of ink was spilled just a few weeks ago about the deep divides in the Democratic Party (strategic where they were
McCain To Media: It's My Party And I'll Lie If I Want Toby tristero[Thanks for all your kind words about The Origin. I'll post more soon but now it's back to your regularly scheduled bizarro-world rep
WWTDby digbyI don't use the old saw "imagine if this were a Democrat" anymore because it's implicit in just about everything the Republicans do these days. But this is really too much. We heard consta
The War On Factsby ddayKarl Rove today:This week, non-partisan fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact and FactCheck.orghave called Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) out for lies in his attack ads against S
The Origin: An Opera-Oratorio Inspired By Charles Darwin Photo courtesy of Scott Hurst - www.hurstphoto.bizby tristeroNote: This is not a post about politics. I’ve received  many inquiries about my mu
Conservatism Is A Luxuryby digby...we can no longer affordIn democracies, all political factions run against an elite. Since the New Deal, Democrats have cast themselves against the financial and busi
Trusted Sourcesby ddayShankar Vedantam had a significant article in the Washington Post that essentially explains the campaign that John McCain has been running as an indirect way to fire up their own
Failed Philosophyby digbyBarack issued a statement on the meltdown today that I think is quite good.  He does, unfortunately, say that he doesn't blame McCain personally for the meltdown on Wall Stree
Von Spakovsky 2.0by digbyBiden mentioned the latest caging gambit in his speech this morning and progressives in Michigan are gearing up for it: Stop McCain's Plan to Deny Votes of People Who Have Los
Sheldon Whitehouse Gets "Senator For Life"by ddayWhile John McCain and the Republicans are steadfastly trying to eliminate issues and facts from the election altogether, there is one exception to that
Memories Of Keatingby digbyAs we watch yet another Republican financial crisis unfold before our very eyes, everybody needs to employ Mr Google to read up a little bit on the Keating Five scandal. McC
Not Enoughby tristeroThis is fine, as far as it goes.But it's not enough. After all, Dukakis released a similar ad, and we all know it did him a world of good.I've said it before and I'll say it again
Congratulations, You Just Purchased An Insurance Companyby ddayJohnny, tell them what they've bought 80% of:Fearing a financial crisis worldwide, the Federal Reserve reversed course on Tuesday and agr
Situational Feminismby digbyI'm pretty sure I died a couple of weeks ago and nobody told me. Having to watch Rush Limbaugh wave the feminist flag in favor of Sarah Palin's regressive politics and pers
Vets Shouldn't Voteby digbyThey might not vote "correctly." After all, they've seen wars and might not think that  it's such a great idea for the US to constantly be pushing more of them just say "suc
Mr Fix Itby digbyI wrote a post below about McCain's head knocking style of governance joking that he seems to think he can bully his way into solutions to even the most complicated economic problems.
77 Centsby ddayI'm pleasantly surprised to see equal pay make a prominent appearance in the Presidential election.  Surprised and saddened - I can't believe this is still an issue in 21st-century Amer
Pitched Battleby digbyKevin Drum wonders why Obama doesn't name check the Republican party in his speeches:I continue to be a little puzzled by Obama's unwillingness to plainly brand this as a failure
Fundamentalsby ddayPeople are having fun with John McCain's economic adviser's absurd statement that McCain invented the Blackberry (that "serial liar" tag is going to stick any minute now, right?), b
McCain/Bush/Palin's Sicko Health Planby tristeroA new study analyzes the McCain/Bush/Palin health plan. It is a horror:Senator John McCain's (R-AZ) health plan would eliminate the current tax exclusio
What's Inside The Kitby digbyThe whole rape kit thing has had me a little bit confused.  Palin is a wingnut, for sure, but that also usually includes being a Law 'n Order freak who wants the cops to h
Crooks In Tiesby tristeroTowards the beginning of Dean Starkman's terrific, eye-opening article on the business press reporting, and often missing, the story of insanity in the loan industry, he sprin
Social Security, Anyone?by ddayI don't think the Obama campaign has made this clear enough:As it happens, though, not that long ago we had a rare political moment in this country, a moment where the p
Give 'Em Hellby digby...Harry“On the morning of October 30, 1929, President Herbert Hoover awoke the day after the biggest one-day stock market crash in American history, surveyed the state of the U.S
Building Their Own Leftby digbyFred Clarkson (of Talk To Action, among many other blogs and publications) is an expert on religion and politics and has written a new book Dispatches from the Religious
The Gurusby digbyNewsweek's  Michael Hirsh says that although there are many people responsible for out current economic meltdown, we should thank one very special guy in particular:This mess is mostl
Gloomy Gussesby digbyI'm sympathetic to the complaints referenced in tristero's post below, but I think they are misplaced. This isn't a blog about heroic first person stories of GOTV.  It's about mac
Awfulby tristeroU.S. Embassy in Yemen attacked, at least 16 dead. And the outrage stinks of bin Laden. The very same bin Laden that has not been brought to justice because Bush got distracted, turning
Swing Staters: Got Good Campaign Stories?by tristeroLongtime reader pseudonymous in nc objected to an earlier post I did which was highly critical of the campaign the Democrats are conducting (with th
Party A Hearts Party Bby tristeroMy dear friends, here is the next lipsticked pig, maybe even the next War on Christmas!As PZ explains, "The state of California now issues gender-neutral marriage lice
The Message, Not The Snarkby tristeroJosh clearly means this movie to expose how utterly vapid, robotic, and contemptible McCain is as he repeats his vacuous talking points, all the while fearfully bl
Banana Republicansby digbyBig Picture:Here is tonite's theater of the absurd SEC headline: SEC intends to temporarily ban short selling, but it's not clear if the commission has approved the move. Cox
Ghosts Of Nam Reduxby digbyI wondered if this would rear its head in this election.  I thought not, since it would likely have to be driven by right wing bottom feeders like Ted Sampley and they seem
Evuntheconservative Laura Bush ...by digbyBatocchio writes about the annual Banned Books Week, which is coming up this month: "Celebrating the Freedom to Read," Banned Books Week runs September 27th t
The Dog Ate Their Homeworkby digbyThe more I see of Sarah Palin, the more she reminds me of George W. Bush:"Oil and coal? Of course, it's a fungible commodity and they don't flag, you know, the molecu
Backwaterby digbyAtrios writes:Yglesias: Who knew the “Washington Consensus” would die in Washington, DC under a Republican President in a mad fit of bailouts and nationalizations?And who imagined it
¡Viva Zapatero!by ddaySo you may know about this by now. John McCain granted an interview to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, which is interesting in itself since he's basically shut out the American pr
Breaking News.  Sun Rises In East.by digbyLet me just say up front that I like Chris Cilizza. Of all the MSM bloggers, he's probably the one who walks the line between the two forms most successfully.
So Goes The Nationby digbyThe first vote I ever cast was for Jerry Brown for Governor of California way back in the day. It's one vote I've never regretted. He's a bold and forward thinking liberal: O
Hacks Say Enough To St. John. And That's The Way McCain Likes It.by tristeroWe learn today that the scales have fallen from the fishy eyes of more and more of America's Greatest Pundits in re: St. Joh
Constitution Day and Cheneyismby ddayYesterday was Constitution Day, a commemoration of a document that reportedly once governed the United States of America.  At one time, the rules contained therein
The Deregulatorby ddayNobody's buying this reinvented John McCain singing the glories of government regulation of the financial markets and vowing to get the bad guys off Wall Street, are they?  If th
Going For The Gutby digbyI can't honestly say that I'm prescient about much of anything, but I have said from the day she was nominated that her attitude toward animals was a serious weak point for Pa
Society of the Pwnedby ddayThis has been a great week for the ownership society.  Not only do we all own an insurance company, but now we've got ourselves hundreds of billions in bad debt.  I don't kn
Fictional Swingersby digbySo, it looks like the Religion Industrial Complex managed to place another bit of propaganda in the NY Times. Here's Perlstein:No one ever went broke underestimating the inte
Nonpartisanship For Dummiesby digbyPresident Bush unctuously lectured the nation this morning about how this crisis  calls for non-partisanship --- and Obama very generously complied. Meanwhile, McCai
Russian Rouletteby digbyLast night as I was reading all the econ blogs screaming "wtf," I came across the news that the Russian stock market had been forced to close for a couple of days due to its ow
Black Kettleby digbyLimbaugh is so upset about the fact that Obama is turning back racial progress, that he's writing op-eds in the Wall Street Journal about it. I'm not kidding:I understand the rough
Bloated Headby digbyAvedon Carol has written an excellent, passionate essay today about why Republicans are bad for you and me. I know it should be obvious to everyone by now, but it isn't:The Republi
A Rare Win Against Voter Suppressionby ddayI really thought that Haley Barbour and his gang was going to get away with it, but the state Supreme Court grew a spine:The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled
Saturday Night At The MoviesCounter-intelligent: Burn After ReadingBy Dennis HartleyBeing Malkovich: Attention, K Street choppers…In an inspired bit of dialog from the new Coen brothers film, Burn Aft
Bush To Congress: Trust Me, I Can Solve Itby tristeroNow here's a truly sensible idea:The Bush administration on Saturday formally proposed to Congress what could become the largest financial bailout
The Natural Consequenceby digbyEric Boehlert wrote an essential column this week about the media's new "problem" convincing the American public that their reporting is serious.   This is a very import
Economists For McCainby digbyThey're quite the innovators:Economists' Statement in Support of John McCain's Economic PlanWe enthusiastically support John McCain's economic plan. It is a comprehensive,
Now He Puts his Foot Downby digbyFergawdsake:John McCain came under fire on Friday from defenders of the current Social Security system after his aides signaled to the Associated Press that the curren
Bad Moneyby digbyIf you didn't get a chance to see Bill Moyers' Journal last night on the financial crisis, take the time to watch it if, like me, you are trying to work your way through the details a
Republicans And Their Goonsby tristero There is still this bizarre perception among many Americans that Republicans are only a political party, not a gang of thugs in dreary ties. Chris Bowers begs to
Once, Just Once...by tristeroIt would be nice not to read a variation of this every single goddamm day:Can McCain sell himself as a Wall Street reformer? His record shows the opposite, but the Republi
Playing Chickenby digbyThe Democrats make a few common sense requirements, considering the epic level of philosophical failure, incompetence and corruption of the Republicans:Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-C
Schlock Doctrineby digbyJack Balkin shouldn't have to remind us that giving the executive branch even more power is a bad idea.  But in case there's anyone left out there who disagrees, here's the cas
Heckuva Job Coxie and The Parasitesby digbyOne of the most galling things about this economic crisis is that it isn't the first time we've seen financial wizards put together some byzantine products a
Insaneby digbyMatt Stoller is corresponding with an angry member of congress about the politics of this 700 billion dollar blank check.  It rings depressingly true:Here's the industry's play: progress
Paul Krugman And The Epic of Gilgameshby tristeroFollowing up on earlier posts by Digby, dday and myself, I'd like to quote from Krugman's short analysis and proposal outline of the Bush financial cat
That $700 Billion Could Parlay Into A Fortune For Yaby ddayApparently the line from the White House that is being snuck into news reports about this bailout plan is that the US could turn a neat littl
The Shrill Oneby digbyNo DealI hate to say this, but looking at the plan as leaked, I have to say no deal. Not unless Treasury explains, very clearly, why this is supposed to work, other than through
Thoughts On Sunday Bobbleheadsby tristeroI watched the Sunday talk shows, which I rarely do, as I usually have something important going on on Sunday morning, like watch the battery charge reach "full
Financial Skigamadooby digbyOk, I just heard the scariest thing I've heard all week, and that's saying something.  Chris Matthews, Richard Wolf and Lynn Sweet were discussing the crisis and all seemed
This Week In Tortureby ddayJust because there are other things happening in the world today, I wanted to highlight some recent developments in the moral outrage that is this Administration's practice
Dear John McCainby tristeroDear John McCain,Like many concerned Americans, I have signed up to drive voters to the polls on Election Day.  In my case, I'm driving to Pennsylvania after I vote here in
Begging Your Kind Attentionby digbyIt looks like Paulson has come up with a new version of the plan, via Chris Hayes:Dear American:I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship w
Untidyby digbyMoral hazard? Nah.Up to 10,000 staff at the New York office of the bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers will share a bonus pool set aside for them that is worth $2.5bn (£1.4bn), Barc
Opening For A Maverickby digbyEd Kilgore over at the Democratic Strategist has posted an interesting take on the politics of this bailout.  He points to a post yesterday by Patrick Ruffinni that outli
The Meek Will Inherit Nothingby tristero Frank Zappa's  great line came to mind when I saw  this piece of shit approved by McCain/Bush. And let me tell you, my friends, this is mild compared to what's
Liberalism Demands Responsible, Accountable Governanceby tristeroKrugman, a moderate liberal, urges caution and reason, not panic.  Unlike conservatives, who do nothing but panic, whether it's a terro
Testing The Limits Of Newspeakby tristeroIt's true: conservatism is postmodernism made flesh. How else to explain this incredibly bizarre contradictory nonsense, breathtaking in its stupidity and mind
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Foreign Policy Debate Fridayby ddayThe first Presidential debate is scheduled to focus on foreign policy, and I imagine those tuning in, whose knowledge of the subject is lim
This Has Got To Stopby digbyShiny objects:The late selection of vice presidential nominees has led to a gaffe-filled contest in which each campaign is pointing the finger at its rival’s running mate.S
They've Been Listeningby digbyPerhaps the American people have been paying closer attention than we think:By a 2-to-1 ratio, Americans blame Republicans over Democrats for the financial crisis that ha
The Horror, The Horrorby digbyI don't know who this guy is, but you have to admit that he's got at least some of it right. And he does have a way with a phrase: Press TV interviewed Paris-based financ
Lipstick On Their Collarsby digbyBoehlert has a masterful column today about the media's failure to report on this impending crisis as it developed.  While they were obsessed with puerile, campaign tr
"He Won't Be A Problem"by digbyI feel so much better now:Some senior Democrats on Capitol Hill have voiced concern that McCain will continue to oppose the Bush administration's plan as a way to positi
Well That Could Have Gone Betterby ddayI watched almost all of the hearings in front of the Senate Banking Committee, and I have to say that the mood I gauged from the public comments of the Senators
Stopping The Bleedingby digbyAn emailer just asked an interesting question, to which I don't have an adequate answer.  He notes, correctly, that this crisis is one of incredible complexity which reall
Long Term Capitolby digbyMarci Wheeler catches an interesting little aside in today's Roll Call article about the latest White house meddling... er management, of King Henry's snow job:Hidden in an ar
Watch The Lobbyistsby ddayThe scene on Capitol Hill looks confused to me.  The refrain from the morning papers is that progress is being made toward a bailout bill, and yet the Congress is at odds wit
Forking It Overby ddaySo President Power Of Nightmares came on the teevee tonight and spoke darkly of grave and imminent dangers to our financial system, all of them somehow magically divorced from hi
More Village Folliesby digbyWhat can be done about Howard Fineman? SHUSTER:  Howard, it used to be that the mere mention of Vice President Cheney would be enough to quell a conservative rebellion, wha
Obama's Response To Immaturityby tristeroApparently, John McCain thinks that the overwhelmingly important task of campaigning and electing a president is some kind of vacation that can be suspended wh
Good. God.by ddayI don't know what to say.Transcript with full context.COURIC: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulatio
Howling Wolvesby digbyI don't know what Bush is going to say tonight. But I think it's fairly clear he's going to try to fearmonger the public into some kind of panic just. It's what he has been doing
Stupid Evil Peopleby digbyFor anyone who's looking for a nice, easy to read primer on the basics of the financial meltdown, I would recommend this post called Economic Disaster and Stupid Evil People.
Now She Tells Usby digbyI've been listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin drone on and on for the past year about how the country desperately needs bipartisanship and flogging her book "Team of Rivals" as a
Crisis Managerby ddayReuters reports and the teevee tells me that John McCain is suspending his campaign and heading to Washington to work on the bailout bill.  He also wants Friday night's debate can
Christianists Are NOT Christiansby tristeroThere is a huge differene between Christians, the followers of a large number of separate, often mutually antagonistic, religions, and christianists, politic
Back to Africaby digbyPerlstein deconstructs the racist subtext of the prevailing right wing trope about the cause of the mortgage meltdown:...let me write about the sewer through which are right-wing
They Don't Miss A Trickby tristeroNate Silver's noticed something weird going on with election betting:There's something funny going on over at Intrade with respect to the pricing of the Obama and McC
Stab From The Pastby tristeroYou may have heard the phrase "Keating Five" and understood that it had something to do with St. John McCain back before he attained sainthood. Well, here's as good an int
Norwegian Woodby digbyIt isn't just Americans who have been screwed in all this:Norway's finance minister was being summoned to the parliament this week, to answer questions tied to investments made b
Latest News From Torture Nationby digbyThis video is so awful, it will make you sick to watch it.An officer appears to have violated police department guidelines when he used a Taser stun gun on a nak
Slap Happyby digbyIn case you're getting as confused as I am (and I'm just talking about the politics!) here's Krugman on the merits of the deal:A $700 billion slap in the faceThe initial Treasury sta
Warrior Negotiatorby ddayIt's very hard to get the lay of the land on this bailout, but this looks to me like what happened today.• After several hours of talks, Democrats and Senate Republicans reach
Illegal Land Baronsby digbyI wrote the other day about the wingnut meme that it's the racial minorities who've caused this crisis.  They are really going for it now.  Here's Michelle Malkin:It’s no co
New Rulesby digbyWhether the debate happens tomorrow night or not, if anyone thinks we are going to have a sort of Lincoln-Douglas series because of the "new rules" they'd better think again:Before ne
Job Oneby digbyIt ain't done yet: A spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, cautions that House Republicans have not signed on to anything.Spokesman Kevin Smith said this includes Re
Going Over Like A Led Palinby ddayI think John McCain suspended his campaign (sort of) to deflect attention away from the jaw-gaping performance by his running mate with Katie Couric.  We already know
Waiting For McCainby digbyLast night I was driving on the freeway listening to Mara Liasson tell me all about McCain's debate gambit and realized that the news media was going to cover the story with
Politics, Thanks To Sarah Palin, Rises Out Of The Gutterby tristeroThere was a time when a Senator's career and presidential aspirations were utterly destroyed because he was photographed with a bikin
The Bad Apples Were In The White Houseby tristeroAs if we didn't know already: Senior White House officials played a central role in deliberations in the spring of 2002 about whether the Central Intel
The Spinby ddayI think the media are talking themselves into this being a draw which is a win for Obama.  Even though nearly half of the debate was on economic issues, the focus was supposed to be for
Shrill But TrueKrugman: ... the failure to get a deal reflects the betrayals of the Bush years. Democrats weren’t going to trust Henry Paulson, because behind him they see the ghost of Colin Powell (a
Working It Outby digbyWatch this pivot.  I just heard Roy Blunt say that while he hopes there is a bipartisan bill, everyone should remember that "Democrats can do whatever they want to do here."As ma
Dispatches From Torture Nationby digbyI've been getting emails about this topic for a few days and meant to write about it. It's  exploded into the blogosphere today: the Army has decided that it need
Wowie Zowieby tristeroThe drama queen will debate, as if there was any real doubt.* And think about it. He does well, that proves he can multitask. He does badly, he's got the perfect excuse. After al
What's It Going To Take?by digbyA lot of people seem shocked by this:According to one GOP lawmaker, some House Republicans are saying privately that they'd rather "let the markets crash" than sign on
Setupby tristeroWith all due respect to Barney Frank, he unwittingly fell into the trap:Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the lead House Democrat on the issue who had been in close talks with Paulson for da
Appropriating Wanker of the Dayby ddayI hope Atrios doesn't mind, but this qualifies for serious wanker status:After declaring he’d return to Washington to help with the bailout negotiations immediate
Saturday Night At The MoviesRelease me, Pt. 2By Dennis HartleyAlthough the DVD format has now been thriving for more than a decade, there are still a surprising number of “deep catalogue” titles that
Creationism: The IDiocy That Just Won't Dieby tristeroHere we go again: The Brunswick County school board is looking for a way for creationism to be taught in the classroom side by side with evolution
Today's Torture Newsby digbyDo you see something odd about this? The techniques themselves -- forced nudity, sleep deprivation, painful shackling -- had been used for years to prepare U.S. fighter pil
He Was Serious?by tristeroWhen McCain said this nutty thing, I assumed he was just having a pardonable senior moment: MCCAIN: How about a spending freeze on everything but defense, veteran affairs and
Voluntary Corruptionby digbyI know this will come as a huge surprise to you:A new government audit suggests the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) effectively dropped the ball in overseeing a vo
Heartland Valuesby digbyThis is awful:Parents are abandoning teenagers at Nebraska hospitals, in a case of a well intentioned law inspiring unintended results.  Over the last two weeks, moms or dads h
SchmearsDear God, I love these guys:In the midst of re-creating the controversial New Yorker cover illustration of Barack and Michelle Obama for the cover photo that graces this week's print edition o
Obama: Calm, Sane, Rational, Intelligent, Focused, and Toughby tristeroOne of the most striking aspects of Obama's approach to politics and problem definition is his sane, reasonable focus. His is the
Coming To Their Sensesby digbyIt seems as though the American people now understand that Barack Obama isn't some kind of foreigner from an other planet and that McCain is a crotchety old kook: PRINCET
Enablersby digbyIn case you were wondering how we got here:A Memo Found in the StreetBy BARRY L. RITHOLTZUncle Sam the enabler.To: Washington, D.C.From: Wall StreetRe: Credit Crisis Dear D.C., WOW, WE
I Said No, No, Noby digbyI don't know about you, but McCain's dizzying Britney-like behavior last week screams "I don't want to go to rehab."   The next thing you know he'll be speaking in a British a
Trouble In Sarahdiceby digbyUh oh. Sarah's gonna get yelled at: Sen. John McCain retracted Sarah Palin's stance on Pakistan Sunday morning, after the Alaska governor appeared to back Sen. Barack Obama
Serious Peopleby digbyWe all know the Village loves to continuously reward those who have been wrong by turning to them for solutions to problems they had a hand in creating, but we can't forget that
Hey Flyboyby digbyI was just watching Bill Maher on the old TiVO and he had on a guest named Lisa Schiffrin, one of The Corner's many wingnut welfare queens.  She explained that the conservatives were
Who's Yer Daddy?by digbyGotta love this headline:President Bush, Nancy Pelosi among biggest losers in bailout debacleGolly,  who benefits from that interpretation?So, they are all saying that Pelosi b
Progressive Shock Doctrineby digbyNow that the Paulson plan is off the table, it's time to start dealing with this like grown-ups.  This is a difficult situation.  We are a month away from an historic
Know When To Hold 'Em, Know When To Fold 'Emby ddayThe New York Times profiled John McCain's penchant for gambling this weekend, and there actually were some serious elements to the story, including M
Partisan Tantrumby digbyThe Republicans are saying that many of their members had promised to vote for the bill until they heard the Democrats being too mean in their speeches.  It was inappropriate.
Investigation And Prosecution Left On The Table Post-Bushby ddayObviously the bailout bill is the order of the day (and I hear enough Congresscritters saying they "have to do something" and "we are al
Shrill Politicsby digbyIf you haven't had your Krugman yet today, his column is very worthwhile, as always.  But his blog posts have been very helpful these past few days and today's are no exception:
You Can Kiss That $700,000,000,000 Goodbye Forever, Peopleby tristeroWhen Tony Snow resigned as Bush's press secretary because of cancer, Commander Codpiece reassured us that Snow would completely rec
The Hissy Fit That Failedby digbyThe dog ate their homework and then threw it back up:During the press conference that followed the Monday afternoon vote, Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) held up a cop
Saradice Lostby digbyOne the most surprising things to me about Sarah Palin is that I had her pegged as someone who was a working cog in the right wing machine --- she's a professional politician, Gov
Empty Throneby digbyThere are probably many reasons why Republicans in the House didn't back the Paulson bill, but this has to be one of the biggies:For McCain, a major hindrance has been his perceive
Golden Weekby ddayAn important week for the Presidential campaign has just begun.  Despite Republican efforts to stop it, the state of Ohio opened their early voting stations this week, and they are o
Big Lie by digbyI've been writing quite a bit about the building rightwing "explanation" for the economic crisis: the blacks and the Mexicans stole your tax money to buy perfectly good houses they cou
Better Democrats Doing Their Thingby digbyPeter DeFazio, Donna Edwards and a group of progressive Democrats have come up with a plan:DeFazio's plan is not in any way based on the Paulson/Bush plan. In
Republicans In Disarrayby ddayIt's worth understanding that the failure of the bailout package in the House was a failure of leadership, as I said last night.  Nobody has confidence in the political s
Delightful Dinosaursby digbyJohn McCain is saying that the Georgetown party circuit is turning up its snobby collective nose at Sarah Palin because she's such a down-to-earth gal whom they hold in dis
Not Just Ignorant But Destructiveby ddayIt's not just that Sarah Palin can't name another Supreme Court case besides Roe v. Wade - wait, OK, it is that.  But there's something more here, something tha
Pretender Liveby digbyIt seems somehow fitting that the writer of the song "Running On Empty" would be a big endorser of a progressive congressional candidate who also happens to be a serious expert o
Now That's Not Really What I'm Talking Aboutby ddayWay to step up, Bernie Sanders, but unfortunately the impact has been stripped away.WASHINGTON, October 1 – The Senate today will debate an amendment
Exactlyby digbyFrom reader MK:A friend, currently involved with theater sent me a couple of quotesattributed to a British theater critic; Kenneth Tynan.  Reportedly,the quote is from The Diaries of Ke
The Katherine Harris Legacyby digbyThe Brennan Center is following the vote suppression efforts around the country and released a new study yesterday that sends chills down my spine:Today the Brennan
Tales Of Bailoutsby ddaySo the Senate will vote on the bailout today.  And they'll probably pass it with big margins.Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky unve
The Green Light At The End Of The Tunnelby ddayI know people are consumed with thinking the progressive window is permanently closed after this bailout plan, but I don't think that's the case.  First
Bright Side Of The Apocalypseby digbyI do not necessarily endorse this view because my crystal ball is in the shop. But I'm throwing it out here because it's a little bit different than anything I've
Debate Threadby ddayI don't think Sarah Palin intentionally flubbed her pre-debate interviews to lower expectations as much as possible, but that has been the practical effect.  And the Obama campaign
Collateral Damageby digbySigh:A New York City police lieutenant who gave the order to fire a Taser stun gun at a man who then fell to his death in Brooklyn committed suicide at Floyd Bennett Field ear
Halfway Thereby digbySteve Waldman at BeliefNet has published their political survey of what they call the "twelve tribes" of American religious belief.  It is fascinating stuff. Quite a bit has chang
The Last Frontierby digbyThe New York Times featured a piece this morning asking various people what questions they would ask the VP candidates.This is something only an Alaskan can say without being
Change Of Seasonby ddayI know that the media can only focus on one thing at a time, but this is a very sensitive moment for Afghanistan.  US commanders and international diplomats alike are seeing a s
Conservative Family Valuesby tristeroHere's a question for you: Who's the bigger asshole, William or Christopher Buckley?Before he died, William F. Buckley Jr. put his young grandson on the firing lin
Leading Contender For Greatest Darwin Award Winner Everby tristeroAstounding:A Metrolink engineer driving a commuter train sent a text message about 22 seconds before the train collided with a Union P
Helsinki: The Good, The Bad, The Uglyby tristeroI haven't been in Helsinki, a city I love in a country I love, since the summer of 2000, just before darkness descended upon America. At the risk of sou
My Sweet Coconutby digbyJudging from the reaction among the beltway fanboys, it appears that Sarah W. Palin may have a potent weapon in her arsenal.  Here's Wolcott:Roger Simon, whose brains seem to h
In 10 Years, This Will Still Be The Creepiest Commentary In American Political Historyby ddayRich Lowry loses it on his laptop.A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting th
While You Were Sleepingby digby ... they quietly tore off  another piece of the constitution:New FBI guidelines governing investigations were released today after being signed by Attorney General Mich
Betraying Normalby digbyHas there ever been a person more unctuously hypocritical than Peggy Noonan? Today,  she claims that Palin's ignorant vapidity is a triumph of celebrity culture as if that's a
George W. Palinby digbyAccording to David Brooks, Palin's "mom next door" schtick last night was just what the doctor ordered. She loathes and despises Washington and that's the most important qualifi
You Have Too Much Health Careby ddayLast night I said on the radio (you all listened, right?) that Joe Biden's answer about John McCain's health care plan should be an ad.  Today, it's an ad:"The McCa
Yes, Not The New Yorkerby tristeroI'm sure David Remnick et al thought this was great, a dramatic endorsement of Obama in an intellectually robust language. I don't, I find it turgid and overwritten,
Saturday Night At The MoviesToo Much Heaven On Their MindsBy Dennis HartleyDid you make mankind after we made you?And the devil too! -Andy Partridge“Oh dear,” says God, “I hadn’t thought of that,” and
Sinister Gibberishby digbyJonathan Chait wonders if this means something sinister or if Sarah W. Palin is too dumb to be president:As we send our young men and women overseas in a war zone to fight fo
Typical Day In Taserlandby digbyNo harm no foul:A 71-year-old man who was tased by police in September was found guilty and fined on multiple misdemeanor counts Friday, after a trial that raised the i
Appeasement Clubby digbyDoes this creep you out as much as it does me?They neocons are still at it.  They'll always be at it. "Appeasement" is the foundation of their worldview --- the notion that eve
Missiles Of Octoberby digbyUp until now, McCain has been running a kinder gentler campaign. Now, he has no choice but to take the gloves off:Sen. John McCain and his Republican allies are readying a n
Blaming Everyone But Their Liege Lordsby digbyFrom Edroso:Barney Frank used to live with a top executive at Fannie Mae. Though this had been reported as far back as 1992, conservatives are working it
The Fall Of Icelandby ddayThere may not be another nation in the world I have more of an interest in visiting than Iceland; friends have described it as an entire country run by young indie music fans
Depressingby digby... but not surprising:The presidential campaign, in the almost all-white counties of southwestern Virginia, has produced an outcome that few people expected: a frank discussion of r
Sleepy Little Villageby digbyKeep in mind that the man who wrote this is the dean of the Washington punditocricy, the Village elder of Village elders:In a session that was faster-paced and friendlier
Still Wallowing In Nixonlandby digbyWhat with all the current   media activity about Obama and his acquaintance, former weatherman Bill Ayers (coming coincidentally on the heels of the McCain campaign
Fast4Equalityby ddayHere in California we're fighting the fundie right as they try to pass Prop. 8 and eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples.  The Yes campaign has been completely taken ov
Take Me Out To The Ballgameby digby... and then shoot me. Here's a recap of every Sunday gasbag discussion about the VP debate last Thursday and the next presidential debate on Tuesday:After the Repub
You Don't Get Your Oversightby ddayHarriet Miers and Josh Bolten won't be testifying to Congress anytime soon.  Not until their Dear Leader is on an island somewhere:Time will run out on this year's c
Oh Canadaby digbyConservative violence seems to be on the rise everywhere:Toronto police patrolled a midtown area overnight, after vandals cut brake lines on at least 10 cars parked at homes with Libe
Dishonorable Revisionismby ddaySo I watched the Obama campaign's Keating documentary, and it's a fairly good recitation of the scandal, and the connection to the financial crisis of the present.What's
Punishment For Being Humanby digbyIt is very dispiriting that California's Prop 4 requiring parental notification for abortions seems to be in danger of passage considering how how high the stakes are
Flying Through Hysteriaby digbyI'm traveling today and got off a plane to see that the Dow had plunged 800 points.  It looks like the hysteria continues apace. It sure would be useful if the richest,
Torture Trainingby digbyPOLICE zapped a runaway sheep that was blocking traffic with a Taser stun gun, a weapon issued for use in violent situations.Motorists trapped in the traffic jam caused when th
From Bad To Worseby ddayJohn McCain's health care idea is to get employers to throw their workers off of their health plans by taxing the benefits, leaving employees to the wilds of the individual ins
Bold Progressivesby digbyAs the exciting prospect of an Obama presidency after eight long years of Republican rule begins to look as if it might actually happen,  progressives must remember the words
St. Johnby tristeroThink there's some truth behind the myth of St. John McCain? Don't you believe it:Following his failed presidential bid in 2000, McCain needed a vehicle to keep his brand alive. He
Won't You Come Home, Tom Clancy?by tristeroHaving just finished Jane Mayer's awesomely infuriating account of America's descent into torture and murder, The Dark Side, I was struck by how mundane the
Rerunby ddayBig ups to Tom Brokaw for structuring the debate in the same order, with practically the exact same questions, as the first debate a week and a half ago.  Thanks for spending 90 minutes pr
Broken Faithby digbyFinally, the Uighur prisoners in Guantanamo have been allowed to awaken from their kafkaeque nightmares:Today, for the first time, a federal court ordered the release into the Unit
Delegitimization Projectby ddayThe polls are surging, the fundamentals of the election are in the favor of the Democrats, and time is running out.  That's why today, the Republicans kicked their groun
Joe Six-Packby digby...hasn't had much of a raise in years. Bob Herbert makes a point today that I expect we'll be hearing again over the next few months:We’ve been living for years in a fool’s paradi
Into The Belly Of The Beastby digbyNaomi Klein goes to the University of Chicago:NAOMI KLEIN: When Milton Friedman turned ninety, the Bush White House held a birthday party for him to honor him, to ho
Frustration, Anger, Incitement, Violenceby ddayYesterday, at two major rallies for the Republican candidates, audience members yelled out that Obama is a terrorist and that he should be killed (or may
Sounds From Marsby digbyI can't tell you how much Sarah W. Palin's accent is bugging me.  Alaskans do not have this accent.  They don't sound like North Dakotans and they don't sound like Canadians an
All Goneby digbyIn case you find yourself listening to the financial gasbags blather on hysterically about complex nothingness like they know what they're talking about and it's leaving you confused,
We Are All Socialists Nowby digbyThank goodness we still have muslims forming a fifth column or the right would have no one left to hate:Having tried without success to unlock frozen credit markets, t
The Victimized Bulliesby digbyI'm just now catching up and came across this:Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with
The New McCarthyismby digbyI just heard Chris Matthews say that McCain seems to be building the case that Obama is in some sort of Muslim terrorist sleeper cell.He's actually quite right.  This may ve
Is There Anyone Worse Than Alan Colmes?by ddayIn this clip, Robert Gibbs is humming along with the perfect response to Sean Hannity's Ayers obsession, asking if Hannity is an anti-Semite because he ha
Immolationby ddayThere's a story out today that the Presidential campaign has somehow "shifted back" to the economy because John McCain didn't run out last night and tell Barack Obama to his face that
Pwnership Societyby digbyHaving learned the lessons of Herbert Hoover, the Republicans are working overtime to solve the financial crisis.  They are creating a full blown PR offensive to blame Democra
Pallin' Around With Extremists In Wasilla, AKby tristeroBy now, everyone who's been paying attention for the past 15 plus years has copped to the rightwing tactic of accusing opponents of exactly what
Craps-tacularby digbyFrom Michael Kinsley:It comes in an email from my friend Jeff Dearth, a media investment banker and former publisher of The New Republic. We also went to junior high and high scho
A Guy Of The Streetby digbyNeedless to say, Dennis Miller is in no position to condemn anyone for cocaine use,  and even he seems to realize just how hypocritical that would be.But the rest is well, d
Equality, Freedom And Tolerance Need Your Helpby ddayThe Mormon Church and their allies who have taken over the Yes On 8 campaign aren't hiding it anymore.  Their entire argument for banning same-sex
Empty Suit Caseby digbyThe other day, I criticized John Roberts of CNN for acting like the church lady and scolding the campaigns' economic advisors for injecting politics into their debate. He wasn't
Today's Dispatch From Torture Nationby digbyMore freedom for you and me:Everyone’s favourite stun gun manufacturer Taser has unveiled it’s latest loving piece of “non lethal” technology, The Taser Sho
They Would Never Invade Our Privacyby ddaySince the revelation of the illegal surveillance program in December 2005, the fundamental question - who has the government been spying on? - has yet to be a
Fever Dreamsby digbyApparently, Obama wasn't only palling around with William Ayers, Ayres wrote his autobiography for him:If my suspicions are correct, the ghost on this book shared many of Obama's s
Slow Release Poisonby digbyThis is upsetting.  John McCain and Sarah W. Palin know that Barack Obama is not a terrorist (well, maybe Palin doesn't ... she's Queen of the tribe that believes this crap)
Fixing The Messby ddayNoriel Roubini has a transcript of a colloquy between Barney Frank and Jim Moran that effectively informed the Treasury Department that they could go the route of partially natio
Barack Gets Angryby tristeroFor insight into the complicated, talented, politician Barack Obama is, you could do a lot worse than  read this WaPo article about his years in the State Senate. I was par
Friday Night News Dump, Alaska Styleby ddaySarah Palin abused the power of her office.  Why didn't they read the report she released exonerating herself?  Wouldn't that be the fair and balanced thing
Business As Usualby digbyHere's some chutzpah for you. Eric Umansky and Sharona Coutts report that AIG --- your AIG --- is still lobbying:  Earlier today, we wondered whether AIG is still lobbying the
Dark Forcesby digbyI've been getting some flak for suggesting that the conservatives are building up a racist argument to explain the financial crisis. And, to some degree, that's fair.  They aren't j
ACLUORNby ddayAs the McCain campaign sinks into the fever swamps and goes about as far as you can go before someone cries "racism," they've teamed up their irresponsible behavior and incitement to rio
Greatnessby digbyAs I'm watching the Dow tank once again, with footage of George W. Bush blathering incomprehensibly in the background, it occurs to me that I may have been wrong in seeing the Bush ad
Long Arc Of History, Justice, Etc.by ddayI had heard that Connecticut was going to wait out a decision on same-sex marriage until after the elections to see what happened with California and Prop. 8.
No There Thereby tristeroWeatherProsecutor:As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over th
Party Like It's 1932!by tristeroYour coffee didn't wake you up? This will:With today’s plunge in the stock market, the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index has now fallen 42 percent over the last year. J
Saturday Night At The MoviesChoke: Shades of AshbyBy Dennis HartleyAt the risk of sounding like your sage Gramps, wistfully pining for the halcyon days of yore, I’m going to go ahead now and sound lik
Spite Politicsby digbyKit Seelye has a rather silly article about Karl Rove in today's NYT, wherein he's describes as something of a celebrity Wizard of Oz who's making good money now as a commentator
Pallin' Around With Extremists, McCain-Styleby tristeroFrom Media MattersNow: G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy served four and a half years in prison for his role in the break-ins at the Watergate and at Daniel
Hey Kids, Let's (Pretend To) Buy A Bankby ddayThere was a ridiculous amount of news for a Friday night, the foremost being that President Paulson is finally giving in and doing what should have been d
The Fraud Of Fraudby digbyIt's becoming clear that the fraudulent GOP "vote fraud" project is up and running at full speed and will likely be a huge story for well beyond the election.  Rick Perlstein
Honorable Putzby digbyI've had it.  McCain corrects some batty Republican  on the obvious fact that Obama isn't an Arab and the gasbags are all hailing the  return of the "Real John McCain." The excus
No Biology, Lots Of Religionby tristeroThe title of the Times article is Using Biology, Not Religion, to Argue Against Same-Sex Marriage and yet, for the life of me, I can't find any biology whatsoeve
Become A Political Consultant For 10 Bucksby digbyHave you ever watched people identified on TV as a "political consultant" and thought to yourself, "geez, I could do better than that."  Well, now you
The Village Throws Downby digbyIn today's Washington Post, David Broder lays out the problems that a president Obama would face from the moment he takes office --- massive global economic turmoil and
Iraqby tristeroThe horrors continue:Hundreds of Christians are fleeing Mosul in the wake of a string of killings that appear to be singling out Christians in the northern Iraqi city, where many had ta
Fair And Balancedby digbySarah W. Palin got booed. As planned.Here's Perlstein to explain:Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Fliers' season opener, and we liberals hav
To Incoherent For the Republican Party?by digbyIs that possible?David Frum is having some trouble with his fellow Cornerites because he doesn't think Sarah W. Palin is ...  well ... quite smart enough
They Do It Tooooby digbyHas anyone ever heard someone shout the words "terrorist" or "traitor" about John McCain at an Obama really? McCain claims he has:I thought they would haul out the Palin gettin
The Great Debateby digbyI was skeptical that health care would actually be tackled in a Democratic first term without a recession driving it and now, for obvious reasons, I think it may actually happe
We Need To Be Boldby ddayDigby pointed yesterday to David Broder's none-too-subtle warning that the next President had better not get any funny ideas about investing in the future or giving those amon
Heroesby digbyThey do exist, and in the oddest places. This is an amazing story of a self-described "conformist" military lawyer and Guantanamo prosecutor who finally couldn't live with the injustices
The Lizard Brain Awakensby digbyHe's just letting it all hang out now.From Amato: Limbaugh: We know that technological advancement is going along at light speed. And yet during this period of time, wh
Unloseableby digbyI'm superstitious about such things so I would never put it quite that way, but  the polls are downright shocking.  No wonder the conservatives are losing their heads and  doing thin
What Actual Election Fraud Looks Likeby ddayIn 2002, Republican operatives in New Hampshire jammed the phone lines of the state Democratic Party on Election Day while they were attempting to organize
Let's Not Go Congratulating Ourselves Just Yetby ddayEzra Klein is correct that the conservative response to the financial crisis has been just as discredited as the conservative policies that caused
Forgetting Yesterdayby digbyAs we go down the rabbit hole of voter fraud once again, it seems as if it would be a good idea to revisit the recent history of GOP program of vote suppression.  It's almo
Consider Yourself Luckyby digbyI would expect that once the election is over, the right is going to force our attention back to the quagmire by saying that the Democrats walked back a clear victory in
Rachel Maddow v. David Frumby tristeroI urge you to study Maddow's performance here.Frum deliberately, and maliciously, leveled a personal attack on his host. Frum knew exactly what he was doing. His
Post-Gameby ddayThe snap polls are coming in for Barack Obama in much the same numbers that they did in the first two debates.  CNN has it 58-31 for Obama.  CBS' poll is similar.  That's because Obama
Debateby digbyThis is long overdue:The Open Debate Coalition has three primary objectives: (1) Make raw footage of the debates part of the public domain, so that journalists, bloggers, and citizens ca
Looks Like A Threat To Meby digbyIt isn't just the South and it isn't just the fringe: Sacramento County Republican leaders Tuesday took down offensive material on their official party Web site that s
Tire Swinger To The Rescueby ddayI think people are misreading this.  John McCain did NOT vow to raise Ayers in the debate.  Listen to the audio.  He passive-aggressively leaned on Bob Schieffer to br
Eye On Eagle Eyeby digbyIn case you're wondering what the right wing bloggers are obsessing about these days, I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that they have an ACORN  in their bonnets:Michelle
Everything You Write, Everything You Sayby ddayYesterday I drove in to work listening to Democracy Now and drove home listening to Fresh Air.  Both had James Bamford on as a guest.  He's the investiga
Are You An American Citizen?by tristeroAre you an American citizen? Yes? Then, as far as the world's concerned, you signed your name to this:The Bush administration issued a pair of secret memos to th
Bagdad Pupsby digbyLike a lot of people, I'm feeling a lot of anxiety these days.  And while I'm happy and relieved at the idea that the Republicans are going to be out of office for a while, the mess
Joe the 285 Million Other People Who Can't Buy A Plumbing Businessby ddayIf you want to know why Barack Obama is poised to win this election, it's because of circumstances like this:To monitor the mul
The Big Issuesby digbyI just heard a bunch of GOP bozos on various networks saying that Obama was out of line when he said that Bill Ayres has become the centerpiece of the McCain campaign. I'm sorry,
Again And Againby digbyThis is now completely out of hand.The FBI is investigating whether the community activist group ACORN helped foster voter registration fraud around the nation before the presid
No Guts No Gloryby digbyIt's clear that Obama won the debate last night (and would have even if he'd never opened his mouth) because the man sitting opposite of him made a complete ass of himself, as
We Are All Joe The Plumber Nowby ddayThere were early reports by Internet sleuths that the ubiquitous Joe the Plumber, the manifestation of the guy in "Swing Vote" come to life, was not a registered v
Still President Bushby ddayThere are 19 days until the general election replacing George Bush (I'll wait for the cheers to die down). We all know he can still cause a lot of pain, and not just to 401(
Votes Like A Bush, Quacks Like A Bushby tristeroWatching at the debate party we had with friends in our building, this exchange caused our collective jaws to hit the floor. Looking at what McCain said
Newtie's New Contractby digbyA reader received this from Newt Gingrich's group "American Solutions for Winning The Future" this morning. This is the refined version of his earlier "plan" to bail out t
Squeezing Every Last Dropby digby... of power.Somebody needs to tell the twits at CNN about this.  They've been flogging this ACORN story as if it features fellatio or something. It's been totally wil
Biden Gets It Exactly Rightby tristeroThere was a time quite recently when Democrats would stupidly ignore disgusting remarks like this:Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told a fundraiser in Greensboro, North C
Saving The Fabric of Democracyby digbyThis was inevitable. After all, McCain himself accused them of destroying the fabric of democracy on national television:An ACORN community organizer received a d
Cuckoo Birdsby digbyMany of us have been girding ourselves for the inevitable emergence of the fiscal responsibility  scolds, who pop up like stinkweed whenever Democrats take office. It was clear the
Don't Blame The Rubesby digbyMore calumny:Among the images that greeted visitors to the John McCain campaign office in Pompano Beach this week was a sign headlined "Barrack Hussein Obama” that compare
Hot Potatoby digbyThe Supremes wisely (and unanimously) refused to get burned by Republican election fraud  shennanigans before the election.  (No guarantees about after...)The U.S. Supreme Court rule
Obama vs. McCain On Science And Innovationby tristeroAs this NY Times guide makes clear, there are points of agreement between Obama and McCain when it comes to the government's role in science and in
The Voices Of Bryan And Taftby tristeroIf you have the slightest interest in American history, then this is incredibly cool. A CD company, Archeophone Records has released Debate '08. That's 1908, dea
Thanks Joshby digbyThis is one guy who has some credibility to talk about this. From TPM:David Iglesias says he's shocked by the news, leaked today to the Associated Press, that the FBI is pursuing a
Saturday Night At The MoviesW: Stone looks back… and to the RightBy Dennis HartleyTwo of America’s finest actorsNo one has ever accused Oliver Stone of being subtle. However, once audiences view his h
2 Things To Rememberby tristeroEven though the great Nate Silver projects 347 electoral votes for Obama versus 191 for Bush/Palin -I'm sorry, I meant McCain/Palin, an honest slip - there is no reason
Inflationary Numbersby digbyMan, that ACORN sure is despicable with it's underhanded registration practices.  Something should be done about it:Dozens of newly minted Republican voters say they were d
Hack For Hackby digbyOne of the most sickening things we have had to endure during this election season has been the sight of Wolf Blitzer sitting across a desk from Glenn Beck and "interviewing" him
The Shame Of Johnstownby ddayAs we head into the home stretch of the election, the disturbing examples of racism has risen.  But for me, this one is personal:My mother is from Johnstown.  My grandmoth
¡Perfora, bebé, perfora!by tristeroNow, here's a game changer:If confirmed, it puts Cuba's [oil] reserves on par with those of the US and into the world's top 20. Drilling is expected to start next ye
Another View On Creeping Neo-Hooverismby ddayI see that Donna Brazile signed up for neo-Hooverism on the Sunday chat shows this morning, seeking to constrain a potential Democratic Administration by s
Kristol's Heartthrobby tristeroYou simply can't exaggerate how thoroughly immature the rightwing can be:The other journalists who met Palin offered similarly effusive praise: Michael Gerson called her
Newtie's Alliesby digbyOn Stephanopoulos this morning: Newt Gingrich: If Obama won and had a moderate House and a moderate Senate, he would probably be a moderate president.  His temperament would lea
One More Unit, Statby digbyLuckily he's never been right about anything, so he's probably not right about this.Today on ABC’s This Week, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said that as president, O
Socialism: Is That, Like, MySpace For Muslims Or Something?by tristeroThere are two problem with McCain's attempt to smear Obama as advocating socialism:1. No one anymore knows what "socialism" is. Oh
Palin's White Americaby tristeroNate Silver has an utterly brilliant post which analyzes, by race, where recent Palin events are held versus Obama's. The conclusion: Palin is speaking to a far whiter
Reliable Sourcesby digbyHere's Bob Shrum telling the Democrats not to go wobbly, which is fine and I don't have a problem with it.  Don't go wobbly, Dems!But this was a little bit disconcerting:Democr
Deadbeat Nationby digbyDday and I wrote about this earlier and I've been hearing this trope all day coming from various wingnuts on TV, so I assume it's a new conservative article of faith:OBAMA [audi
No Choiceby digbyPoor McCain.  Since John Lewis spoke out about the ugly behavior at Republican campaign events, St John has been left with no choice but to do what he really didn't want to do:John Mc
Let Them Eat Cakewalksby digbyBoo Yah....Ken Adelman intends to vote for Barack Obama. He can hardly believe it himself.Adelman and I exchanged e-mails today about his decision. He asked rhetorically,
The New Lucky Duckiesby ddayIt is remarkable to see McCain play the socialism card on Obama, days after voting for a $700 billion dollar bailout of the banks and the largest government intervention of
Disqualified For Dopingby digbyI think it's just terrific that Colin Powell has come over from the dark side and all.  And I'm sure he's very, very, very sincere even though he waited until the last p
The Dog Won't Eat The Dog Foodby ddayIf the Iraq debate wasn't over in this country, you would think that this new pact giving the US a pretty firm deadline for withdrawal from the country by the end
There They Go Againby digbyIt's jarring to hear shouts of "socialist!" at these McCain rallies like it has some specific, current meaning.  Who talks this way anymore? Well, in right wing circles, the
How Helpfulby digbyNothing like deploying a bunch of cops on the streets of American cities, looking for marauding African Americans to help get out the vote:Police departments in cities across the co
Welfare Queenby ddayWhy is the nanny state, in the form of the state of Alaska, caring and feeding for Sarah Palin and her family?  Doesn't she know she has to WORK for that money instead of taking a
The Poo-Flinging Campaignby ddayLooking back on the McCain campaign's narrative throughout the election looks a bit like the narrative through-line from Tristram Shandy.  The lack of discipline to fin
Railingby digbyJonathan at A Tiny Revolution catches a perfect illustration of Village mores:From a recent profile of Seymour Hersh:  It was Tina Brown, formerly of Tatler and Vanity Fair, who brought
Here's To Doing The Right Thingby digbyApparently, Obama's grandmother is very ill and he will take a couple of days off from campaigning to spend some time with her. He lost both of his parents at a
Restarting The Clockby digbyIf you ever wanted to know what a legal system in hell would look like, this is it:The Pentagon said Tuesday it has dropped war-crimes charges against five Guantanamo Bay d
McCain Concedes The Race To The Lawyers?by ddayI know we're all supposed to be somber and work like we're 10 points down, but I don't know how else you can characterize this strategy, if it's accurate
Georgia: Some Backgroundby tristeroFor those interested, here's an excellent article by Robert English on the history behind the recent Georgian war. As usual, the reasons are far more complicated tha
Anyone Have A Job For Doug Prasher?by tristeroHere's a very sad story:In a couple of months, Roger Y. Tsien and Martin Chalfie will head to Stockholm to collect the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and $450,0
CYAby digbyI mentioned the other day that I had to cast a provisional ballot in 2006 and I got a number of emails from readers telling me about their problems with voter registration and voting.  It p
Who Cares What She Thinks?by digbyThe NY Times magazine has a fascinating feature about the McCain campaign in this week-end's edition. The inside look at the Palin choice is really interesting.  Repu
No One Could Have Knownby tristeroWadda surprise. Saying early voting cost too much money with rules that weren't uniform, Republican legislators led a charge three years ago to set new statewide stan
It's Not That He's Anti-American, Just That His Views Are Against Americaby ddayThese wingers really don't like it when we pay attention to their words.It's been 5 days and Michelle Bachmann is still
Win By Losingby digbyPaul Rosenberg lays it out:Anyone who remembers the Clinton years knows what this means.  The Republicans never accepted Clinton as President, and the Democrats failed to crush th
To Hell With Aunt Millie: part deuxby digbyRemember this?This is Bob Badeer (a trader at Enron's West Power desk in Portland, CA, where all these tapes were recorded) and Kevin McGowan (in Enron's cen
We're Tied With Bosnia. But We Beat...Uruguay!by tristeroThe US is number 36 on the Press Freedom Index. (My pals in Finland have the 5th freest press in the world, btw.)Joking aside, this is a disgra
An Offer They Can't Refuseby digbyThe bigots allegedly doing the Lord's work in California are getting really nasty. Now they are extorting money from companies that support gay marriage:Leaders of th
On The Trail Of The Real Storiesby digbyThe ever reasonable "conservative" Jon Swift has collected the most important, overlooked Pulitzer level stories emanating from the rightwing blogpshere during
Oh Well, Another Handful Of Afghanis Deadby ddayDigby was talking about Afghanistan earlier, in the context of Obama seeking to see "the big picture" in allocating resources.  I hope events like this
Et Tu Petraeus?by digbyJoe Klein has published a very informative interview with Obama on foreign policy on Swampland and it's worth reading from beginning to end.  Even where I disagree with him, I c
Wealthy Parasitesby digbyApparently, it never occurred to the great guru that wealthy people would be greedy enough to destroy the system.  It didn't show up in his "models."Greenspan, who called the
Valuesby digbyIt's sort of "comforting," as Karen Hughes would say,  to know that the far right is the same the world over: The successor of the Austrian far-right leader Jörg Haider was dismissed yes
They Don't Want You To Voteby ddayJosh Marshall found this gem from a news item about the early voting sites in the heavily African-American Lake County in Indiana:CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) — A judge wei
Uglyby digbyProposition 8 here in California is starting to get hot. Here's a report from oakland:This is the reality of Prop 8, though. A woman on her way home saw a bunch of pro-Prop 8 types and a f
The Myth Of A Maverickby ddayMatt Stoller has scored an incredible interview with a staffer from John McCain's 2000 Presidential campaign.  It might not surprise you, given the sludge that his campaig
Down To The Wireby digbyEveryone has heard about Michelle Bachmann's outburst on Hardball and the ensuing outpouring of donations for her opponent. But there was another "macaca moment" that was so ba
It Ain't Usby digbyDavid Swanson at After Downing Street indicts the liberal blogosphere for failing to hold McCain accountable for his hypocrisy on torture.  Speaking of the Pinochet meeting revealed
Eating Their Ownby digby... legs off. In response to this morning's post about an anti-Palin faction developing with the McCain campaign and among Republicans, Randy Scheunemann, McCain's chief foreig
The Scarlet 'B"by digbyI'm sure most of you have heard about the alleged attack of a McCain campaign worker by a crazed black man.  It's been all over the internets and apparently the McCain campaign
Saturday Night At The MoviesSo…what’s on your DVR? (Slight return)By Dennis HartleyAt the risk of instigating a public stoning, I thought I would take a bit of a departure this week and switch over to
Proposition Hate: Father Knows Bestby tristeroBy now, nearly everyone knows that Proposition 8 (hereafter, Prop Hate), the anti-marriage iniitiative in California is in serious danger of passing. The
How To Negotiate With The Bush Administrationby ddayWhat you do is this.  You set up a deadline and force the White House to negotiate with you as it nears.  You ask for major concessions and never st
McCain's Hopeby digbyAlthough I'm not sure about Stoller's prediction of a landslide (I'm superstitious about such things) I'm pretty sanguine about Obama's lead.  I've been pretty positive all year t
The Materialism Punby tristeroThis is about as good as it gets in terms of defining the scientific/philosophical nature of "materialism," "methodological naturalism," and the fundamental worldview of
Beware The Lame Duckby digbyYou'll recall that the Republican Party took the Ohio secretary of state to the state Supreme Court over minor mismatches in voter registration.  After the lawsuit was drop
Republicans vs. Scienceby tristeroSarah Palin isn't the issue here. Sure, I'll concede that this illustrates Palin's breathtaking ignorance AND her stupidity. After all, she agreed to repeat it. But w
Boo Hoo Hooby digbySo the wingnuts are turning on the rats who are deserting the sinking ship. And the rats don't like it. And it's all Sarah W. Palin and John McCain's fault. Here's Peggy Noonan:In t
Blocking All Roads Into Townby digbyI've been writing for a very long time that the minute a Democratic president is sworn in, the Village cries for bipartisanship are going to be deafening. They did
Two Really Bad Ideas From The Department Of Really Bad Ideasby tristeroFrom the International Division of the Department Of Really Bad Ideas:Civil rights campaigners are angry that ministers have appr
Down To Pennsylvaniaby ddayNow I'm going to have to call all my relatives.  Thanks a lot, McCain campaign!Pennsylvania will see a lot of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin next week.The scheduling
Divas On Paradeby digbyI'm sure you have all heard by now that McCain loyalists are already out there dissing Palin for ruining everything.  But this one made me chuckle a bit: A second McCain source
Holy Moldyby digbySo Joe the sanctimonious jerk is making his move:Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, one of John McCain’s closest political allies, said Friday he does not believe that Barack Obama is unprepa
Playing With Fireby digbyI understand why neither the authorities or the media want to make too big of a deal about assassination plots against Obama by knuckleheads. Elevating such things to a Big St
Traditional Valuesby digbyFor its final op-ed ad in the New York Times, Campaign For America's Future characterizes the progressive argument for change as a return to the Democratic tradition. I like
Rejecting The Footsoldiersby digbySirota catches today's attempt to frame an impending election of a Democratic government as a victory for Republican philosophy:The Village freakout continues, this t
The Final Daysby ddayI fully expect one last-minute "Shocking revelation!!! Must credit Drudge!!!eleventy!1!" for each remaining day until the election.  John McCain has run his entire campaign from n
You Knew It Would Happenby digbyLast week, Huffpo reported that the McCain campaign was "rethinking" McCain's allegedly heroic decision not to use Jeremiah Wright in the election because John Lewis ha
Rogue Palinby digbyShe is way off the reservation:Ensuring that news of the Republican National Committee's sartorial spending spree will remain in the headlines for at least one more news cycle, Sara
Slouching Toward Washingtonby ddayCan you believe the nerve of this guy?In a conference call with Connecticut reporters on Friday, Lieberman bristled at the media's coverage of the McCain campaign's n
Saddleback Wankerby digbyNow that we've invited everyone into the big tent, it looks like some people aren't going to be welcome anymore. At least if they want to get married.Pastor Dan reports:Rick W
A Democratic Eraby digbyAll through this election cycle I've been featuring reports from an insider I call "Deep Insight."  This is the final one:Democracy is coming to the USA Leonard Cohen   With on
Feminists Of Gileadby digbyRoger Simon says that Palin is going to run in 2012 and all this bad press will have been explained away as sexism. And here we have an alleged feminist making a similar cas
Why Obama Must Win, Chapter 1,000,000: The Judiciaryby tristeroThis should scare you:Earlier this month, Mr. Bush pointed with pride to his record at a conference sponsored by the Cincinnati chapter o
Good Time For An Enormous Gaffe On Health Careby ddayDouglas Holtz-Eakin earned a reputation in the Congressional Budget Office as a fairly honest conservative economist.  Today he told the truth abou
All The Way To The Topby digbyThis statement should be the basis for serious congressional investigations:The overblown histrionics about ACORN do not surprise those of us who have been watching the R
Dirty Tricks Watchby ddayEvery year the Republican Party sends a flier into minority or poor neighborhoods telling people to vote on the wrong day.  This one is even more efficient, because it claims
Proposition Hate: Meet The Fundersby tristeroIn  a previous post  on the anti-marriage initiative in California called Proposition 8 (aka Prop Hate), I discussed one funder of this hateful proposal, t
American Dreamby digbyOh dear.  It looks like he really might need a CPA and a tax break this year:Move over Sanjaya and tell William Hung the news: Joe the Plumber is being pursued for a major record
Handmaids and Commandersby digbyTina Brown's new site seems to be featuring a lot of disaffected feminists who are leaving the Democratic party. Yesterday we had this former editor of Ms magazine exto
Wedding Guestby ddayI haven't done too much writing about Prop. 8 here, though I have at my other haunts.  Over at Calitics we've devoted a substantial amount of time and resources to it, and we've ra
More Prop Hate Propby digbyAt this point, I'm just documenting the atrocities.  Get a load of this creepy thing:If you're in California,  and were planning to take the week-end off and just enjoy the
Respectfulby digbyChris Matthews just allowed Tom Delay to call Barack Obama a radical, militant Marxist who wants to pack the Supreme Court with communists and is far to the left of Barney Frank ---
Socialist Republicansby digbyHendrick Herzberg's column in the New Yorker is all about this "socialism" nonsense and he does a particularly good job of explaining Alaska's special brand of it:Sarah Pa
Voter Suppression Watchby ddayI'm still a little stunned that it isn't a bigger story that a sitting US President is ordering his Attorney General to intervene in a voting-rights case in Ohio - a case
Impolite Servantsby digbySo everybody in Hollywood hates MSNBC. (Michael Reagan gets death threats from sissy liberals every time he appears!) Whatever. But this common piece of right wing victimology
Taken For A Rideby tristeroDon't miss Maeve Reston's revolting hurl in the LA Times recalling the halcyon days when McCain pampered, flattered, and even healed his media entourage. It really can't be
Vote Flippingby tristeroIt's not an urban myth:Notice that after the machine gets calibrated, it still flipped a vote.As I've mentioned several times, my elderly parents were victims of the infamous b
Jules Winnfield FTWby ddayTwo pieces of very good news for No on Prop. 8.  First, the latest Field Poll shows the initiative failing:Prop 8 is down by 5 points, 44% Yes, 49% No. While one would like t
The Long Marchby digbyBoehlert catches TNR patting the press corps on its collective heads because it's so darned tuckered from the long campaign it can't even think of anything to write about anymore
Their Storyby digbyJust so you know:RUSH: We either are what we are or not.  The dirty little secret is, the vast majority of the people in this country live their lives as conservatives; and given co
Stevens v. Those Liberal Elite Jurorsby ddayDigby can maybe speak to a more personal experience with Alaska, but I'll tell you, this is exactly what I expected to happen upon his (triumphant?) return.
Retreating Into Paranoiaby digbyAri Melber has written an interesting article about how the web has impacted the use of dogwhistle politics by deconstructing and exposing them.  That tracks with Drew
Firstsby digbyFrom the ACLU:There is a human cost when gay couples are denied the fundamental right to marry. The stories of three couples from New Mexico demonstrate what thousands of couples in Cali
Looks Like Some Good Newsby tristeroYesterday, dday sounded the klaxon that Bush was gonna have the Justice Department intervene in an Ohio voting rights case. As dday wrote,"This is attempted voter s
Maybe The Dog Ate It Allby tristeroBeing essentially a craftsman by trade - ie, someone who makes stuff with his hands (and a few computers) - I often find the world of Big Money a deeply strange plac
Youthquake And Prop Hateby digbyDday wrote about this last night, but I thought it was worth another push.  Here's the latest from California's Field Poll (the best one) on the proposition to ban gay
The Hillary Clusterby digbyI was doing some research and came upon this article from 1998 by Christopher Caldwell, which I've blogged about before, but which now has a different set of implications fr
Stop The Presses. Drudge Is A Hack.by digbyI think it's just terrific that the media are finally seeing that Drudge is a hack, but Jesus H. Christ --- he had to start screaming that Obama was a social
Years In The Making: The Ground Game Revs Upby ddayChris Bowers says that Obama has already won the election.  Thanks for depressing turnout, Chris Bowers!  But looking at his methodology, he may well
Got Hypocrisy?by digbyI often say that Republicans have retired the concept of hypocrisy and people titter politely, but I suspect they think it's a sort of glib slogan and not a serious observation.
Obama And Maddowby tristeroRachel Maddow Interviews Barack Obama. It's a fascinating, and utterly refreshing, experience to listen to an American politician answer direct questions in a reasonably dir
Halloween Horrorby tristero Nobel Prize Edition:The long-feared capitulation of American consumers has arrived. According to Thursday’s G.D.P. report, real consumer spending fell at an annual rate of
Cutting Off Your Nose To Spite Your Baseby digbyAs we approach this historic election --- and watch the Village start to panic at the prospect of the dirty hippies coming to town to trash the place --
Saturday Night At The MoviesThe Docu-horror Picture ShowBy Dennis HartleyWhatever happened to Fay Wray?In honor of Halloween weekend (we can call it that, when Halloween falls on a Friday, right?), an
California Emergencyby digbyI know you're tired of hearing this from me, but it's important. The ban gay marriage amendment, prop 8, is in a dead heat right now and the campaign is having a hard time
Sharp Tipby digbyThis is such a great idea, I hope all the Randites adopt it and it sweeps the nation: Glenn Harlan Reynolds is a law professor at the University of Tennessee and author of the blog "I
White Noiseby digbyThe New York Times does a nice feature today on Media Matters, running down how it works and speculating about its effect on the election.But the most interesting, and predictable,
The President Speaksby digbyMan, they really are getting desperate:He's been hidden away in his secure location for months and what with all the Republicans endorsing Obama in these last days as the s
Springing A Leakby ddayI don't know if these 11th-hour smears are going to work at a time when the total financial meltdown tends to focus the mind a bit.  But if undecideds were looking for an excuse
Ah, Comity!by tristero Attention, all you Emily Post trolls who need smelling salts after encountering the nasty vicious netroots:"Now, listen, I've voted 'present' two or three times in my entire 25-
Don't Read This If You're Drinking Coffeeby tristeroDavid Sedaris:I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential
An Observation About Changelingby tristeroI hope Dennis won't mind my straying yet again onto his beat. I just saw Changeling, the new Clint Eastwood film starring Angelina Jolie and I think it's one
Not About Optionsby digbyMy pal Bill sent me this article about how African American churches doing HIV outreach have problems with the use of condoms:In Tampa's black neighborhoods, the statistics sc
Newspapers Ignore Corddry's Law And Readers Bid Them Adieuby tristeroYou do know the great Rob Corddry's famous law? "Reality has a clear liberal bias," he memorably intoned once on The Daily Show. A
Blue America Down To The Wireby digbyHowie is doing all the heavy lifting, gathering information and putting together the pre-election round up over at his place.  If you're a Blue America donor this
Serious Political Peopleby digbyIt's amazing how so many of the architects of the Bush debacle are now on television spouting off about what a terrible failure he is and nobody ever mentions their rol
Inevitable by digbyThey are going back to their roots. I would look for this in Arizona and New Mexico, but it could crop up in any of the western states and Florida too.
Registered Voter By Birthby ddayAs the last of the lawsuits against ACORN gets laughed out of court, and as Republican Secretaries of State grumble about having to reinstate voters to the rolls, it's
The Inmates Take Over The Asylumby digbyThey can't control them anymore:You'd think 21-year-old Kristi Burton would be feted by the pro-life establishment. Though she still lives with her parents in P
No To Prop Hate: Volunteers Desperately Neededby tristeroDigby also posted on this, but it's so important, I'd also like to jump in. No On Prop 8, the pushback on the despicable anti-marriage initiati
Californicationby digbyHere's your handy dandy, progressive guide to the many ballot propositions courtesy of our friends at the Courage Campaign.  There's a link at the bottom to print this out to ta
All about (election) eveBy Dennis HartleyNo, you’re not high (well, maybe you are…I can’t really see what you’re doing there.) Digby has invited me to make a rare weeknight appearance; she thought it
Bipartisanship In Ermine and Epaulettesby digbyAs we sit anxiously on the eve of the election, wondering if it's possible that this dark, frustrating Bush era is really coming to a close, I thought I
Patience, Grasshopperby digbyOne of the things you have to admire about the conservative movement is their patience. (I think it comes from their reverence for the tactics and strategies of Chairman M
The Scooter Paradigmby digbyWe've already talked about these latest revelations about McCain and the Keating Five, but I want to look at it from a slightly different angle.Yes, yes, McCain is a lying
RIP Madelyn Dunhamby ddayTerrible news.  The day before an historic election, Barack Obama's grandmother, the woman who raised him for a good portion of his youth, has passed away.  He took time off t
Stakesby ddayIn the heat of an election, amidst the media din, sometimes everyone forgets why they're undertaking the fight.  The contest becomes one of personalities and soundbites instead of issues
Election Protectionby digbyWe've all heard a lot about vote fraud, vote suppression and are expecting some activity at the polls tomorrow. luckily, there are organizations out there to help tomorrow i
Martin Luther King, Jr.    "I Have a Dream"     Delivered        28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.        I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as th
Bold Progressivesby ddayAlan Grayson has defeated Rep. Rick Keller to pick up a seat in the House for the Democrats.  This one is great.  Grayson is a better Democrat, a guy who went after fraudulent
Uncivil Disobedienceby digbyJust a little observation about the right:  I read this on Calitics this morning:We just got a report in from a polling location in Contra Costa that a poll worker just cam
America's A-Holeby ddayJoe Lieberman, everyone:BECK: But do you agree that Senator Hatch said to me that if we don’t at least have the firewall of the filibuster in the Senate that in many ways Americ
Update:From Dday writing on Calitics:Make my election prediction come out right!  This is from Debbie Cook's campaign, via email:We have volunteers monitoring precincts across the district, and the re
Come From Aheadby ddayThis map is floating around the Internets today.  Survey USA polled a hypothetical matchup in 2006 between McCain and Obama.  McCain took it 510 to 28 in the Electoral College, w
How Different This Isby ddayThere is the obvious, of course, and that's a big deal.  Senior citizens who were the sons and daughters of slaves are going to the polls today to vote for the son of a Ken
Vote!by tristeroI just saw a headline in the NY Times that scared the daylights out of me: Networks May Call Race Before Voting Is Complete :At least one broadcast network and one Web site said Monday
Dropping The Anchorby digbyGood God, I hope this is just rhetorical bullshit. Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on t
The Outsiderby digbyEverybody's chattering about Obama picking Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff. What does it all mean?  I don't have the faintest idea. Rahm is a political enforcer, so maybe that's go
The Resurrectionby ddayI couldn't agree more with John Aravosis:After eight years of having Republicans call me an un-American troop-hating fag-loving socialist, after months of John McCain embracing
Always And Foreverby digby...it's good news for Republicans: They lost the presidency, at least five seats in the Senate, and around 20 seats in the House. They are officially out of power. But consid
Bittersweetby digbyAs thrilled as I am that the country has begun to shake off the curse of the GOP, this still hurts:Voters put a stop to same-sex marriage in California, dealing a crushing defeat to
First And Second Chancesby digbyThere are many things to be said about Obama's victory and people much more erudite and talented than I will be writing about all of it over the next few days. For me,
Elections Have Consequencesby digbyThere is a lot of yammering among the gasbags about the absolute necessity for a bipartisan cabinet. I agree with Stephen Hess on tonight's Lehrer News Hour who weig
Meanwhile, Bush Is Still Preznitby tristeroWe're all understandably distracted, flying high. But back in reality, Bushism still is in high gear. Here, the subject is the bailout and the writer the gre
Manly Moronsby digbyI mentioned this before, but with the cable new networks all breathlessly reporting that Sarah W. Palin is a moron --- and people like Chris Matthews now opining that anyone who is
Is This So Hard To Say?by dday"Politics is not left, right or center ... It's about improving people's lives."-Paul Wellstone, Election Night 1990 acceptance speechWe are 18 years on from that piercin
Cyborg Socialismby digbySchwarzenegger November 1st:He also took issue with Obama's plan to roll back Bush's tax cuts for the top brackets, as well as the Democrat's statement to Joe the Plumber that
Take A Cold Showerby digby... and shut up.Ok, that's it.  I agree that Sarah Palin is a disaster. She was a terrible choice for VP and undoubtedly cost McCain votes among those who couldn't believe he
Making Him Do Itby digbyI was reading through the comment section of a few posts this morning (something I rarely can bring myself to do anymore) and I realized that I need to remind people of somethi
Self Interestby digbyReader Bill sent me an email this morning that set me to thinking about something very fundamental: I got up early and caught some of the discussion with Lawrence O'donnell, Chrys
The Clinton Rulesby ddayWhile some conservative activists have the idea to rebuild their party by using the Obama-Dean inclusive vision of organizing and party infrastructure in service to the exclusi
Puppy Watchby digbyLike millions of other Americans I am shamefully taken with the story of the Obama girls and their new puppy (and I confess that Obama's comment that he wanted to get "a mutt like m
Problemsby digby"Democratic strategist" and uber-villager Michael Feldman appeared with Andrea Mitchell earlier and said this:Mitchell:  Let's talk about the State department and foreign policy.  John
Negotiating With Himselfby ddayIt's funny, Joe Lieberman thinks he's some kind of bonus baby who can get a luxury car and a sweet penthouse apartment overlooking the National Mall out of either caucus
Corrupt Bastards Clubby digbyIf this were coming from anywhere but the state that had legislators who proudly belong to something they called the "Corrupt Bastards Club" (with hats!) I would adopt a w
Saturday Night At The MoviesGoddamn right it’s a beautiful day (uh-huh)By Dennis Hartley"OK then, class-Is Africa a continent or a country?”So what is “happiness”, anyway? (If you say “…a warm gun” I
Goin' Rogueby digbyMatthews: Is there going to be some bloodletting? Some knifework done on Joe Lieberman? I have to tell you, I think there's judgment to be done here and I think it's hard to say whe
Big Shotsby digbyRead the following article and ask yourself if we live in a sane country: Barack Obama said he would improve the economy. Turns out he already has, at least in one retail niche: gun s
Tales From The Second Great Depressionby tristeroThis is terribly sad, and ominous:In February 2007 New York City Opera staked its future on the vision of Gerard Mortier, a European impresario known f
Instant Gratificationby ddayWhile in retrospect this seems obvious, until this point I hadn't factored in that the Iraqis were waiting out the election results like the rest of us, and making sure tha
Empathyby digbyJust in case anyone does believe that the Republicans are a chastened lot who have learned their lesson and will behave in the spirit of bipartisan cooperation going forward, here's a s
Trapping The Apostleby digbyI like dday's optimism below, but if you want to see what the village elders are saying about all this "change", this morning's Fareed Zakaria show on CNN will give you a c
The First 75 Days Before The First 100 Daysby ddayObama's transition team is trying to manage expectations on what they will be able to attack immediately upon being sworn in.  Rahm Emanuel makes it s
Putridby digbyJonathan Schwarz  stares in slack jawed horror at Michael Kinsley:What's so shocking about Kinsley is that he's not an inherently stupid man. Yet he consistently writes things so bizarre
Getting Their Backsby digbyAccording to CQ, the CIA is worried that Obama won't "have their backs" when they do something wrong:“I was with a group of intelligence officers today,” Roger Cressey, a co
Smash And Grab Jobby ddayYou can't teach an old dog ethical tricks.  The Republican ethos in the Age of Bush has been to use government as a vehicle for profit-taking, and that continues:The financial
Real Changeby digbySpencer Ackerman writes about his creepy experience on a tour of Guantanamo a couple of years ago and happily announces this:Less than a week after his election, and more than two m
Changeby digbyPodesta also said Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet. That includes reaching out to Republicans and independents — part of the broad coalition that supported Obama during the ra
FWIWby digbyAlmost everything we read right now is just crap, so take all this with a grain of salt.  But it features a fun flow chart and at least explains where some of these names you hear being dr
Center Wrong WatchWell, it's been proven. The country is definitely center-right:In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday, 59 percent of those questioned think that Democratic con
Fiscal Responsibility I Can Believe Inby ddayI'm resisting the temptation to analyze every little story about what the incoming Obama Administration might or might not do once in office.  I can probab
The Seven AphorismsI can't wait for this.  From TChris at Talk Left:Michael Daniels, the Mayor of Pleasant Grove City, Utah, is dancing on a tightrope as he explains why the City accepted "an imposing
Fairy Tales Of Yoreby digbyJonathan Schwarz addresses this myth that Clinton came in and tried to do all this crazy leftist stuff which resulted in his losing the 1994 election. It's driving me nuts:T
Neutralize Lieberman - Jim Martin for Senateby ddayToday is Veteran's Day, and six years ago, Saxby Chambliss perpetrated one of the more cowardly and despicable attacks on a veteran in recent politic
Blanket Pardonsby digbyEvidently, there's talk of Bush issuing a blanket pardon to anyone involved in his torture regime before he leaves office and Salon is also reporting that there are some plans a
Every Vote Countsby ddayWe've been following the Ted Stevens/Mark Begich race in Alaska, which initially seemed to be more than a little strange, what with its low turnout despite the first Alaskan on
Without Missing A Beatby digbyI wrote something the other day about the right's retirement of hypocrisy and intellectual violence (which Bob Cesca expands on today ) at the end of which I said:...fail
Hagen Dazeby digbyI am always a little bit skeptical of claims of sweeping change, but I have to say that I think this really is good news (made possible by Youtube and the ease of contributing online
Baucus' Moveby ddayThere's been a lot of ink spilled about the failure of Clinton-era health care reform, but certainly legislators inside the Democratic caucus, particularly Blue Dogs and moderates,
Done Dealby digbyIt is an old truism that the Senate is the most exclusive club in the world and that all of its members believe they would make a better president than the current one. It's been prov
Seeking Inputby digbyThe Obama transition office announced on Wednesday that the president-elect  will send two representatives to meet with delegates attending the G-20 economic summit being held thi
Squabbling Spooksby digbyRuss Feingold gently suggests that Obama replace all the heads of the intelligence agencies, and for good reason.  Get a load of this puerile nonsense:Barack Obama has been pr
Don't Say He Didn't Warn Youby digby“There may be certain elements of our audience that turn away between now and the inauguration,” says Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News. “I think cable numb
Of Course You Know, This Means War Crimesby ddayI read with interest Digby's post about potential Congressional inquiries into Bush Administration abuses, as well as Bush's own efforts to pre-emptivel
The Next Great Causeby digbyJoe Klein has a post up at Swampland about Obama's energy plans that is spot on:Obama has said building an alternative-energy economy will be his top priority. The question
Stickin' It To The Unionsby digbyThere's a lot of discussion about what to do about the auto companies and none of the options are very palatable.  In  today's New York Times there is an article analy
Magnificent Disasterby ddayAs Emperor Paulson dithers and shuffles papers pretending to look busy implementing the bailout, the lobbyists are lining up for their piece of the bailout cash, and apparen
Hallelujuhby digbyFree at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we're free at last.  Reagan Democrats  in Macomb country voted for a black man(pdf) and Stan Greenberg can finally move on:# On Electi
Old Relicsby digbyE.J. Dionne thinks this is a good time for Democrats to  reach out to anti-abortion conservatives to find common ground. Obama ran on that platform and he needs to change the party f
The Paranoia Industryby ddayI know that everyone is scratching their heads over why every conservative and their brother is freaking out over how Barack Obama is going to reinstitute the Fairness Doct
Brokeback Press Corpsby digbyReader Bill wrote in to ask "why can't the press quit the Clintons?" I will never know. Today we are watching them have another one of their squealing bitchfests over the
Hugging the Pandaby ddayThis Bill O'Reilly interview on Jon Stewart last night wasn't necessarily significant for Billo's typical dross about how Stewart would be "stoned to death" if he ever visited
Nothing To See Hereby digbyBoth dday and I have covered the Don Siegelman case over the past year or so and it remains one of the flagship legal atrocities of the Bush Justice Department (and that's s
Demand-Side Economicsby ddayRobert Reich, who I'm glad to have in the room advising President-Elect Obama during the transition, has written a piece about what he calls the "Mini-Depression" and how w
Saturday Night At The MoviesOf second childishness and mere oblivionBy Dennis HartleyTime - He's waiting in the wingsHe speaks of senseless thingsHis script is you and me boys-David Bowie“Did you see
The Winnersby digbyChris Cilizza explodes five myths of the election and what do you know?  It's all good for Republicans!  This was actually a defeat for progressives, blacks and young people voting
Talkers Revealedby digbyThis is a very interesting article written by a former right wing talk show producer  revealing the secrets of the trade. I think the thing I find most interesting about it is
The Door Is Closedby digbyRegular readers know that I'm skeptical of all this bipartisan, post-partisan stuff because it only seems to be relevant when liberals might have a shot at power. Feels like
Joining The Impactby digbyDday is tracking stories of the Prop H8 Join The Impact protests today over at Calitics.  If you went, you can go over there and do a diary or you can leave a story in the co
Kicking It Down The RoadBy digbyMore jockeying on torture:Top Democrats on congressional intelligence panels could be heading for conflict with President-elect  Barack Obama  over interrogation polici
Sunday Rerunsby digbyJosh Marshall points out how bizarre it is that the Sunday morning shows are still featuring many more Republicans, even though the whole government is about to be run by Democrat
Non-negotiableby digbyGreenwald and Talk Left have been sounding some small alarms about Obama's intelligence advisor John Brennan and it's definitely something to keep a close eye on. I've speculated
Taser Updateby digbyJust a little note to let you all know that the latest development in taser nation is to allow average citizens to carry tasers.  For self-defense.  Or maybe just to keep the kids
Losin' Itby digbyThe good news is that this country elected an African American Democrat.  The bad news is that it seems to have inspired an uptick in threats and violent rhetoric: Threats against a n
Holy Molyby digbyThis is from Newsweek, not Newsmax:According to a 2006 study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a third of white evangelicals believe the world will end in their lifetimes. T
Testing The Young Presidentby ddayA day after the Iraqi Cabinet approved a withdrawal agreement that would remove US forces entirely from the country by the end of 2011, the White House is trying to s
Sticker Shock Doctrineby digbyJane Hamsher has an informative and interesting post up today about the proposed GM bailout.  It's a complicated issue, but in the final analysis, Krugman simplifies it s
One Party Stateby digbyThe minute I read this, this morning, I knew the fix was in.  Corporate whore Tom Carper giving Holy Joe a good public scolding could be nothing more than kabuki.  A deal had be
Terrorist Sissiesby digbyFYI, PropH8 protesters are terrorists. (Actually, wingnuts trying to be funny is an official act of terrorism, in my view...)al Gayda On The March: “By their fruit, ye shall k
Oddby digbyTweety and other gasbags, including Christopher Hitchens(an extremely thoughtful critic as always) are all wringing their hands about Obama's possible choice of Clinton as Secretary of Stat
OK, We'll Stop Printing Money Nowby ddayThe White House is saying that they may not use all of the bailout money before January 20 and that they will offer about $350 billion of it to President-elect
Shoulda Become A Republicanby digbyDamn, wingnut welfare is awesome:Joe the Plumber’s latest small business? Apparently: himself. JTP’s deeply researched, carefully edited, thoughtful, and not at all
Dead Revolutionariesby digbyThere are many reasons to be grateful that John McCain didn't win the election, but his reliance on and trust in this economic evildoer has to be at the top of the list:Phi
Backing Waxmanby digbyMatt Stoller wrote a piece yesterday about the fight over the Energy and Commerce Committee chairmanship between John Dingell and Henry Waxman and he points out that the outcome
Beware of Histo-tainmentby ddayI'm very glad that Matthew Pinsker penned this op-ed today taking a more critical look at Doris Kearns Goodwin's pop pseudo-history "Team Of Rivals".  As a yarn, I hear
Angry Tears Of Betrayalby digbySomeone needs to alert the religion industrial complex that their "outreach" doesn't extend to the highest reaches of the Catholic church: Via CNN, Cardinal James Staffo
Lying Us Into War Has Its Privilegesby ddayJust to put a coda on today's heartfelt welcoming back of Joe Lieberman to the Democratic caucus (I swear, all this bipartisanship and comity brings a tear t
Top Copby digbyEric Holder as AG sounds like an excellent choice to me.  Check out what Jerome Corsi had to say about him in Newsmax last June:Calling Guantanamo Bay an "international embarrassment,"
More Laying Of Landminesby ddayYesterday I mentioned all the internal challenges that President-elect Obama will be facing.  Today's Washington Post reveals how Bush is trying to institutionalize thos
What Religious Right?by ddayKathleen Parker wrote an op-ed today calling out the "oogedy-boogedy" theocratic wing of the GOP and "armband religion" as impeding conservative electoral prospects for a g
Amity Village Horrorby digbyI was going to write about this, but I see that the shrill one is there before me --- and carrying a whole lot more credibility than I have in such matters):When you hear c
Urban Legend In Her Own Mindby digbySometimes you just have to love conservatives.  Even in the age of Youtube and the internet they think they can get away with saying "you can believe me or you can
Partying Like it's 1993by digbyI just have to reiterate how bemused I am by Obama being harangued for breaking his promise to bring change by appointing a couple of ex-Clinton officials while simultan
The End Of The Dingellsaurus?by ddayDigby mentioned before the importance of getting Henry Waxman as the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  Well, today he was nominated by the House's
An Experienced Handby ddayRoll Call is reporting that Tom Daschle will be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.  That's wholly unsurprising.  Obama's Senate staff was basically Daschle's fo
(Card) Check Pleaseby digbyI have long been amused (and somewhat confused) by certain bizarre conservative rallying cries.  At political rallies you'll hear people chanting "USA" and cheering for low
Guilty Participantsby digbyDavid Sirota makes note of the media being among those members of the political establishment who pretend to be "innocent bystanders"As anyone who has read my columns, blog
Back to The Futureby digbyBill Bennett just said that he thought the new president would have his biggest fights with Henry Waxman and said that he himself would side with the president.  That's very
Deep Thinkersby ddayJust to add to my assessment of the pervasive influence of know-nothing Dominionism on the right, here's Daniel Henninger, a columnist paid money by the Wall Street Journal, a work
Rumpby digbyIn a post discussing Paul Krugman's argument that the congress needs to stop posturing and arrange for a bridge loan until a new administration can take a look at the problem (which seems
OMG! I'm so shure!by digbyIs CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena angling to become the new Rachel Ray?  What the hell is wrong with her? She breathlessly announced the judge's decision to release fi
Clinging To Their Realityby digbyFrom David Sirota:When I wrote my first column about the "center-right nation" and subsequently launched the "Center-Right Nation Watch" series on this blog I predicte
Half The Battle Is Showing UpBy digbyFollowing up on my post earlier, here's a video from yesterday: when asked why the congress was avoiding its responsibility and kicking the can down the road on th
The Guy Has Some Stonesby ddayI seriously hope that nobody is trying to rehabilitate Roger Stone as he attempts to repent over what he helped impose on the world.  The guy was actively pushing the 'Wh
Vulgar Randismby digbyIt's heating up.  Get a load of this:Personally, I tend to bristle at extortion attempts and that is exactly what this amounts to; "buy our lousy cars and subsidize our worthless
Interregnum Interruptusby digbyKrugman brings up something this morning that I was coincidentally chatting about over dinner with a friend last night --- what are the ramifications of having the lames
Saturday Night At The MoviesEat them up, yum: Top 10 Food FlicksBy Dennis HartleyI was originally going to do a post this week about my “top 10 Thanksgiving movies”, but after pondering it for a spell
A New Era Of Comity And Bipartisanshipby ddaySomebody forgot to tell Mitch McConnell.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday sent a message to Democrats that Republicans are not prepa
It's What They Doby digbyOr what Karl Rove does anyway.  John Emerson reports on the Franken Coleman recount:But Coleman is a Rovian. Even though he hasn't won yet, legally speaking, he's already decl
Taser Tortby digbyThis report from the Las Vegas Sun about their police department's experience with tasers is fascinating.  (Too bad the Brits didn't read it before deciding to arm their entire polic
Beating Tortureby digbyWasn't Michael Isikoff supposed to be a crack "investigative" reporter?  Why then is he nearly plagiarizing the work of Salon writer Mark Benjamin?Isikoff today:Despite the hope
Pushing The Argot Of The Leftby digbyDavid Sirota has written an intriguing post about the potential "ghettoization" of politics and policy in the Obama administration:    "This is the violin model: H
Disgusting Failureby digbyMark Halperin just gave notice that the honeymoon is over and the media must redeem itself by turning on Obama:Media bias was more intense in the 2008 election than in any ot
Unlocking The Secretsby digbyI've written a bit about this notion of a bipartisan, 9/11 style commission to investigate the abuses of the Bush administration and for a number of reasons I've been fair
Crisis Managementby digbyThere's a lot of chatter in the blogosphere about Obama not picking enough progressives for his cabinet, some of which I've participated in backstage, although I haven't writt
Warrantless Pillow Talkby digbyWell, well, well.  What a shocker:A former communications intercept operator says U.S. intelligence snooped on the private lives of two of America's most important allie
Spooking The Spookby digbyOh my goodness, the mean liberal blogs spiked John Brennens' possible nomination to CIA or DNI.  Greenwald has the details at his place.It's very nice to be seen as being so
Let The Word Go Forthby digbyThis is just great: Sally Quinn is telling Barack and Michelle where they should worship.  I hope they do as she says.  If they don't they will be subject to her waspy wra
Just Don't Call Them Bigotsby digbyI noticed in all the local news coverage of the Prop 8 protests that Mormons being interviewed were often furiously denouncing the idea that they were bigots.  They
Big Moneyby digbyWe are hearing more and more about those incredibly overpaid, cushy 70 dollar an hour autoworker jobs and if it sound fishy, it's because it is. I know all of you remember that the UA
Whining For Honorby digbyPaul Waldman says "let the whining begin."  And I think you know who holds the world record in the sport:Over the last eight years, many conservatives, particularly the radio
Making It Upby digbyStirling Newberry has written an interesting historical piece on why this nonsense about how the New Deal was a failure.  It's worth reading the whole thing, but this is particular
Holding The Country Hostageby digbyJack Goldsmith tells us that if there are any prosecutions or further investigations into the torture regime the lawyers who give presidents legal advice in the futu
Torture Zombieby digbyI have always been in favor of prosecutions for the unitary executive torture regime. Recently, however, I have reluctantly concluded that the best we could hope for is a "9/12"
Thanksgivingby digbyIt just occurred to me that it's the perfect day to say thank you to all my readers, who keep me on my toes all year long. Thank you. For those of you who are bakers, as I am, I th
Prop. Thamaaniyahby ddayI'll allow myself a brief respite from vacationing to post this bit.The Iraqi Parliament did pass the withdrawal agreement mandating the end of a US military presence in Iraq b
Smartsby digbyDavid Broder feels that it's a really good time to have a super smart president. For years he thought that being smart wasn't very important in a president but now he does because the pr
Taser Incident Of The Dayby digbyA lawyer was stunned with a Taser twice this afternoon after he became upset at a Tampa Code Enforcement Board meeting, police say.Tampa lawyer Carl Roland Hayes, 53,
Dispatch From Real Americaby digbyDid you know that the confederate flag is actually a symbol of Christianity and anti-communism? Neither did I:  Barack Obama’s presidential victory upset James and Li
Poppy's Legacyby digbyI'm not too sure where E.J.Dionne is coming from here, but it sounds as if he thinks it's some kind of great thing if Obama decides to become the president son George Bush Sr nev
Resolute Mulesby digbySpeaking of injustice, here's another story that makes my head hurt. From T Chris at Talk Left:   You may remember the case of Julie Amero, the teacher who allegedly exposed her
Taser Talkby digbyA reader from France alerted me to this interesting story about tasers:A Paris court on Monday began hearing a libel case by the head of a company that supplies Taser stun guns to Fr
Kewl Kid Kabukiby digbyI don't know how long it will take for Halperin and Kurtz to get the kewl kidz on board the train (they are all worried about their own 401ks, after all.) But it's out there.I'm
Saturday Night At The Movies(Note:  Dennis wrote the following before the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. He left it up to my discretion whether or not to post it.   I don't think it is disrespectful or
Stars 'n Bars 'n Hammer 'n Sickleby digbyA reader wrote in to respond to my post yesterday about the confederate flag and Christianity and anti-communism and schooled me a little bit on the long histo
Legacy Costsby digbyIn your dreams:"I'd like to be a president [known] as somebody who liberated 50 million people and helped achieve peace," Bush told his sister, Dorothy Bush Koch, in a conversation
Omegasby digbyHere's an interesting look at the "center-right" debate that's been happening in the blogosphere and elsewhere, by Tom Edsall at Huffington Post. He goes over the terrain that readers of
Laura's Dreamy Bubbleby digbyJulia finds that somebody forgot to give Laura Bush a briefing since about 2003:The Bush family have recorded a Story Corps interview about George W. Bush's presidential l
Bystanders In East Asiaby ddayThe attacks in Mumbai are grisly enough, and it's a relief that they appear to be coming to an end.  But the question over involvement of Pakistani groups has the potenti
Depressionby digbyPaul Krugman's essay in the NYRB called, aptly, "What to do" is a must read.  It lays out the challenges ahead and his prescriptions for what must be done.  He says we are living in
Mission Creepsby digbyTorridjoe at Loaded Orygun is following the taser controversy and sees the same problem that I do with this weapon. He recounts this interesting story in the Portland Mercury abo
Antichristby digbyYou just won't believe this.  This is a highly rated talk radio station here in LA (click to enlarge)H/t to John C who also gave Bill Handel (who comes on just before Rush in morning
Good Faithby digbyJust in case anyone thinks the spirit of bipartisanship has overtaken the congress in light of the severe financial crisis, think again. From TPM:Earlier this month, the Bush adminis
Not There Yetby digbyHowie Klein has a great post up today discussing Mitch McConnell and the Republicans' supposed move to moderation.  I urge you to read the whole analysis. I know that many people
I Like Ikeby digbyHe warned us.Unsurprisingly, it's also become a seamless part of the propaganda arm of the government, the media:In the spring of 2007 a tiny military contractor with a slender track
Good Faithby digbyFrom Think Progress:In an interview with the conservative online publication Newsmax, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the GOP must broaden its appeal to avoid becoming “the old whi
Gates Keeperby digbyDavid Corn brings up the curious case of Robert Gates, who readers here know I'm not a fan of. He points out that Obama may believe that having a Republican in charge may insulate
Hippie Obstructionistsby ddayI want to agree with and expand upon Digby's post about the strain of victimization culture amongst conservatives, the need to rebel against an oppressive eastern elite to
Warblogger Reunionby digbyI heard what I thought was a sonic boom from the space shuttle over the week-end, but it turns out it was the simultaneous orgasm from the right wing blogosphere over the Mum
Southern Exposureby digbyOver the long weekend I dashed off a quick post about southern honor being at the root of the victimization culture of American conservatives. Ed Kilgore responded with a very
Nothing Conservative About Itby ddayA week or so ago, Ezra Klein argued that America is a small-c conservative nation from a structural and operational standpoint, in that the checks and balances betw
Team Of Drivelby digbyIf you're looking for an intelligent dissent from the received wisdom that Obama's "team of rivals" is really all that diverse, Tomgram has one.  Here's the intro:Historian Steve
Get It Doneby digbyI love it when new Nixon tapes are released.  So far, the excerpts I've seen have lived up to the usual expectations:-- On July 1, 1971, Nixon instructs Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman
Efficiency Expertsby ddayThe science is in, to borrow a phrase, on the US healthcare system.  It costs more and treats less than comparable systems worldwide, and as a result America is less competiti
Soljah Politicsby digbyI was catching up on some gasbaggery last night and came across this lovely little gem. I see that Jane Hamsher got there first:MATTHEWS: OK. Who's going to break it to the blog
They've Got Nuthin'by digbyI am no economist and rarely write about the technical aspects of the economic crisis, particularly when there are such good bloggers around who actually are economists.  So
Setting Back Feminism Since 1983by ddayI think there's a good article in this profile of Tina Fey by Maureen Dowd, but it's nowhere to be found on the page.  Instead, I would rather read Fey's reactio
Throwing Bulletsby digbyYour daily taser death:A man has died in police custody today after being shocked by police Tasers, city officials said.Officers responded to Highland and Jefferson avenues in
41% Solutionby digbyTodd Beaton catches the latest so-called evidence for center-rightism ---Chambliss' win: On AC360 earlier David Gergen declared: I think this actually puts a lot more pressure on B
The Great Restorationby ddayIt's a good thing that the Bush team is working hard with unusual focus and competence on what matters the most right now - making sure that reporters properly spin his leg
"Why Would We Want That?"by digbyHuzzah to Matt Browner-Hamlin (via Somerby) for correctly diagnosing Maureen Dowd Jr's  projection disease regarding the "Clinton drama."  We are dealing with an illne
Local Scumby digbyMedia Matters issued a report a couple of weeks ago on local conservative radio that is just mindboggling. As terrible as Limbaugh, Hannity and Savage are, the even more odious lower
Room To Moveby digbyWhether due to enthusiastic support or a desperate hope (or some combination of the two), the public is behind Obama in huge numbers.President-elect Barack Obama gets soaring marks
On Not Using Corporate-Created Buzzwordsby ddayI know that he appears to be doing one interview after another and spinning reporters on how good his Presidency was, but George Bush is keeping busy by
One Downby digbyMonica Goodling's BFF and prayer partner was a bad girl:An independent federal investigation has determined that former U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose retaliated against the No. 2 person
Annals Of Privatizationby ddayConservative dogma states that private enterprise and contractors accomplish basic services more efficiently and professionally than nasty ol' big government.  This happe
Hippie Punch Of The Dayby digbyHowie Klein reports that the village is suddenly getting very, very nervous that crazy, freaked out weirdos might get important committee assignments:[Y]esterday's Congr
They Work Hard For The Moneyby ddaySo after driving to Capitol Hill this time, the heads of the Big 3 auto companies are due for their ritual stoning in front of Congress today, as they continue to pr
Junk Moralsby digbyDuh:No high-quality study done to date can document that having an abortion causes psychological distress, or a "post-abortion syndrome," and efforts to show it does occur appear to
On Not Using Corporate-Created Buzzwords, Part IIby ddayWow, when I wrote this brief yesterday about the dangers of clean coal, I honestly had no idea that an entire campaign was being readied by Al G
Bair Essentialsby digbyYou've probably already read about this, but if not, here's the new article saying that Obama's choice for treasury, Tim Geithner, is trying to oust Republican regulator, FDIC c
They've Created A Monsterby ddayTom Daschle came right out today and said that you can't fix the economy without fixing the health care crisis.  Interestingly, health care is one of the only sectors i
Supreme Nutsby digbyI have only been tangentially aware of this wingnut conspiracy theory that Obama isn't really a US citizen. It's the typical kooky stuff you see when Democrats are in charge.But th
Just Try Itby digbyBack in August of 07, when the Democrats whiffed on the US Attorney scandals, I wrote this:I assume that the Dems have decided that there's nothing to be gained politically by pursu
Saturday Night At The MoviesMilk: Castro revolutionaryBy Dennis Hartley“The important thing is not that we can live on hope alone, but that life is not worth living without it.”  -Harvey MilkThis past
Taintedby digbyThey're not happy:Anyone connected to post-Sept. 11 “enhanced interrogation measures,” no matter at arm’s length, is apparently disqualified to run Barack Obama ’s spy agency.Hence the
Call Me Miss Bringdownby digbyPeople have been complaining that I'm depressing them with all kinds of bad news and Cassandra predictions. I hate to disappoint them.  So I won't:A record 1.35 million h
Keeping Us Safeby digbyCan someone explain to me how it is that Peggy Noonan can claim that Bush kept us safe?   Didn't we have the worst terrorist attack in US history while he was president? Didn't
Milkby ddayApologies to Dennis Hartley if he's winding up to write something about this, but I attended a screening of "Milk" last night put together by the Courage Campaign, and wanted to give some t
Defending The Companyby digbyThere's been quite a bit of chatter about the Brennan withdrawal suggesting that CIA veterans and long time professionals are really angry with "the left" for saying that
Absolutist Liarsby digbyBTD at Talk Left takes Ross Douthat to task for his disingenuous ramblings asserting that "Pro-Life" advocates are allegedly willing to compromise while the pro-choice advocate
Zero Riskby digbyWhat do you know?  The Canadian Broadcasting Company did independent testing on tasers and it turns out they often quite quite a bit more electricity than the manufacturer says they a
More Important Than We Knowby digbyHere's an article laying out some of the arguments about "Card Check" aka the Employee Free Choice Act:Is it pay-back time or about time? When it comes to "card-chec
Galtian Privilegeby digbyAh memories.  Here was McCain's top Wall Street supporter, John Thain,  six months ago, when asked what he hoped his legacy would be when he was chosen for an important job in
Innoculationby digbyWashington Whispers:As President-elect Barack Obama continues to build his national security staff, now focused on intelligence, it is possible that he might ask CIA Director Mike
In God We Trustby digbyFerchristsake.  And I mean that literally:A group of atheists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to remove part of a state anti-terrorism law that requires Kentucky's Office of Hom
Hippie Punch Of The Dayby ddayI am gobsmacked by this HuffPo piece by Steve Hildebrand, punching the hippies on the left for... having opinions.  Hilbebrand begins by outlining the challenges Presiden
Until He Turns Blueby digbyThis is how responsible, conservative grown-ups react to a crisis:With job losses mounting and Detroit’s Big Three automakers facing a battle on Capitol Hill over emergency
Literal Immoralityby digbyMCFADDEN: Is it literally true, the Bible?BUSH: You know. Probably not ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Test
Whistling Past The Graveyard Of Empiresby ddaySam Stein at The Huffington Post reports on "growing dissent" on the idea of moving troops from the "bad war" in Iraq to the "good war" in Afghanistan.Sen
Small Victoryby ddayIt looks like the workers who have occupied the building at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago may get what has been promised to them.The creditor of a Chicago plant where laid-
Here We Goby digbyThe minute I heard about Fitzgerald's press conference, I knew this would follow shortly: Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich RelationshipThat's Jake Tapper, not making any c
Big Plansby digbyThe country has been brainwashed by the right into believing that the government should be run like a household, which means that when things get tough, it needs to pay off its debts
Just Go To The ERby ddayNone of this is going to come as news to anyone, but the need for comprehensive health care reform now is magnified by massive job loss, which also often means a loss of health
Epic Ideological Failby digbyBefore you listen to one more wingnut try to tell you that the financial crisis and global recession was caused by irresponsible black people, illegal immigrants and Fanni
I Am A Scientistby ddayHere's the expected energy team for President-elect Obama:Obama will name Steven Chu his choice for Energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for EPA administrator and Carol Browner as ene
Taint That A Shameby digbyToday on MSNBC, Shuster had on Pat Buchanan who said that Obama reacted "abnormally" to the Blagojevich news and failed to disclose which of his aides may have spoken to the
Eve of Destructionby digbySo the Republicans have thrown a roadblock in front of the auto bridge loan. There is no longer any doubt that they want the Big Three to fold by the end of the year.Emergenc
Extending Its Legsby digbyFollowing up my "smell test" scandal primer of yesterday, check out the Politico today signaling in advance how they plan to cover the story.At first blush, Barack Obama come
Kaputby digbyFrom Harry Reid just now:"Given the unhappy choice between a bridge loan and bankruptcy, Democrats have always believed that we must give the Big Three and the millions of Americans they
Beware The Religious Industrial Complexby digbySarah Posner wrote a great piece the other day about the Religious Industrial Complex and received quite a response from RIC lobbyists:  Posner dismisses
Legacy Of Ashesby ddayThe Bush Legacy Project is off to a rough start.  Despite a fresh set of talking points and a round of gauzy interviews, the public doesn't want a damn thing to do with this guy
Block Headsby digbySo,  the Republicans are saying that if the Democrats don't agree to destroy the unions, they will block   any loans to Detroit, and allow the auto companies to fail. And even that
New Strategery Same As The Old Strategeryby digbyWhy anyone would listen to the Prince of Mayberry after he led the little would-be machiavellis over the cliff I don't know, but he's out there yammeri
My Foreign Investor, Right Or Wrongby ddayAs Digby noted yesterday, the auto industry recovery package looked to be on life support.  Looks like Mitch McConnell pulled the plug:The Kentucky Republican
They Just Don't Give A Damnby digbyWhile they insist that we shouldn't play the blame game with the fine upstanding Masters of the Universe who destroyed the financial system, the Bush administration
Bipartisan Tangoby digbyIt looks like Pat Leahy isn't inclined to go along with the Republican vapors on the Holder nomination even if it means an ugly fight.  And he's right not to.  Sam Stein at Huf
Tell Me How This Endsby ddayYesterday Robert Gates, on the ground in Afghanistan, discussed a rapid troop increase (around 20,000) in the country within a matter of months, and a “sustained commitment
Not Good Enoughby digbyEugene Robinson is someone who has always been an Obama booster and perhaps he thinks his column today is somehow "helping" him. But it actually is ushering in a new rationale f
Hold Onby digbyBlogojevich is an ass and should either resign or be impeached as quickly as possible.  But this move on the part of the Illinois AG is nonsense. We don't ask courts to "remove" people
Lifeline?by ddayIt looks like Treasury is going to step in and provide the Big 3 with bridge loans, using the TARP money authorized by Congress.WASHINGTON — The White House and the Treasury gave stron
(Late) Saturday Night At The MoviesStocking Stuffers: Vintage reels for your Xmas creelBy Dennis HartleyIt’s that time of year- for the obligatory Top 10 lists. This week, I thought I would share some
Villager Backscratchingby ddayJust wanted to follow up on this endorsement of Chris Matthews for Senate from Ed Rendell, from the Rendell angle.  Tweety has been fellating Rendell for the past year, g
Pragmatic Idealismby digbyI don't have time today to delve into this fine piece by Chris Hayes (which many of you have no doubt already read) about Obama's pragmatism and what it means.  Hayes gets to
Top Catby digbySocks:We have some bad news today on the presidential pet front. Socks the cat, probably the most photographed presidential kitty in history, has cancer and isn't expected to live. "His
They Can't Be That Desperateby digbyDear God:Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell gave Chris Matthews a glowing endorsement for his potential Senate candidacy today, calling the MSNBC host the “strongest Demo
Royal Workersby digbyHere's a revealing look at how Republicans see the new post partisan environment:During the final closed-door negotiations Thursday night, union officials were in one room while m
Don't Defend It, Don't Mend It, End itby digbySo, I see that Victoria Toensing is back in the Patrick Fitzgerald bashing business, reprising her complaint that he goes way too far in his public charac
Inmates Running The Asylumby digbyApparently, the Madoff ponzi scheme is making even some Republicans question whether the SEC might not be doing its job:As the list of victims continues to grow and i
Clemency For The Shoemanby digbyI was watching Fox News a bit ago and saw Fred Barnes sliming the journalist who threw the shoe at Bush as some kind of quasi terrorist because he'd once worked at a ra
More Victimized Billionairesby digbyNo, not the poor put-upon Wall Street masters of the universe.  This time, it's the unsung heroes of the conservative movement ---- their wealthy benefactors: Newsm
Waiting For Guinevereby digbyJane Hamsher has been questioning the potential Caroline Kennedy appointment for a while. I've been sort of lukewarm on the issue, thinking that Jane is certainly right th
Questions And More Questionsby digbyMSNBC anchor sez:"Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times has written about how this scandal is an early test for the Obama tream.  Jeff, good to see you. Uhm, many peopl
They Don't Know Halfwayby ddayAfter shrugging off Republican caterwauling about the Holder nomination, the only one the right seems to have any interest in making a stink over, Senate Judiciary Chairm
Patriotsby digbyYesterday, today and tomorrow:Where Lincoln is concerned, no such schism exists. He is "considered by both historians and ordinary Americans to have been the greatest American presiden
Welcome To The ZIRPby ddayThe Federal Reserve cut their key interest rate as low as they can go - virtually to zero, although the bank rate is more like .5%.  The investors loved it!  Well, today they
Scalps Deja Vu Vuby digbyLet's party like it's 1999:Senate Republicans have requested information about Attorney General nominee Eric Holder’s role in the Elian Gonzales controversy as part of a broad
Press Throwdownby digbyEarlier today on MSNBC, Tamron Hall played the tape of Obama refusing to answer questions about Blagojevich today, chatted a bit about that and then asked a question:Tamron Hall
Forgiveness For Peaceby digbyDday has a compelling post up today at the Great Orange Satan about the need for Bush to publicly forgive the shoe thrower or risk having things hurtle out of control. I h
Mayberry Machiavellis: The Bookby ddayT. Christian Miller wrote a definitive work a couple years ago called Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq.  Late last week, Mill
Confessionsby digbyIn ABC's exit interview, Dick Cheney makes it pretty clear that he doesn't think he needs to fear war crimes trials.  He proudly admits to them. The vice president was unapologetic
Battering Rahmby ddayI'll believe this when I see it...In talks with Emanuel and others, sources say, Pelosi has “set parameters” for what she wants from Barack Obama and his White House staff — no su
Drip, Drip, Dripby ddayThe Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament has resigned over the al-Zaidi arrest.Iraq's parliament speaker announced his resignation Wednesday after a parliamentary session descended i
Praying For Realignmentby digbyI've been writing for a long time about the Religious Industrial Complex and how they hope to end the culture war by marginalizing pro-choice and pro gay rights voices w
American Albatrossby digbyIn case you wonder what the political media's priorities are, look no further than today's First Read, the "blog" of Chuck Todd and his minions at NBC. Here is the first post
The Republican War On Laborby ddayIt's pretty clear that the GOP desire to stiff the auto companies had little to do with bailing out GM and Chrysler per se, and everything to do with busting unions.
Industry Molesby ddayThe Obama transition team is having people organize house parties to give their thoughts on health care reform.  They are open, deliberative processes.  So of course the insurance
Newtie's Lessonby digbyBack in 1998 Newt Gingrich made a fatal decision to allow the Lewinsky scandal to be used in the midterm elections despite the fact that the public supported Clinton and the pre
Congratulationsby digby.... to Chuck Todd for his new post as Chief White House correspondent at NBC. This is is addition to his job as political director at NBC, so I'm relieved that we won't be deni
Not A Disorderly Collapse, A Nice Orderly Oneby ddayGeorge Bush was asked about the auto industry rescue today during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute.  He said that he hasn't made up his
Keeping Us Safeby digbyI think it's pretty clear that the Republicans are playing for 2010 and want to run against the "Obama Economy."  That means they are going to put a monkey wrench in everything
...Drip, Drip, Drip....by ddayThere were demonstrations in Iraq calling for the release of Muntathar al-Zaidi in Falluja, in the Sunni Triagle, and in the Baghdad Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya.  This
Dirty, Dirtyby digbyThe underwear sniffing zombie is back on the case: The sponsors of Proposition 8 asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to nullify the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-
Who Could Have Dreamed?by digbyThe Muckraker's Zachary Roth has an interesting post up about Chris Cox and the SEC:In recent years, particularly under Cox, a former California GOP congressman, the SEC
Sick And Taseredby digbyTasers are so harmless cops can even use them on people in hospitals. It might be a good idea to determine if they are patients first or figure out if they are having a human r
California Screamingby digbySchwarzenneger is going to order layoffs and furloughs of all state employees. That ought to be a big help to the recession.Here's where it stands today:California's budget
Disassembling The Middle Classby ddayWell, the President did not opt for the orderly collapse of the auto industry, finally understanding (and articulating) that no consumer would buy a car from a com
Freeper Coalitionby digbyWell, Obama may not have pleased his liberal base the last couple of days, but he has made great strides with the Freepers.  Pam Spaulding ventured into the slime and came bac
*Please scroll down for new postsIt's A Bloggy Holidayby digbyYes, it's that time of year again, the time when I ask all of my loyal readers to pitch in a penny or two to keep Ye Olde Blogge up and ru
Saturday Night At The MoviesFrost/Nixon: Confessions of a dangerous mindBy Dennis HartleyConscience is but a word that cowards use,Devised at first to keep the strong in awe.-Wm. Shakespeare (from Ric
Protecting Their Ownby digbyLast week-end I wrote a long and I'm sure mostly unread post about uber-villager Stuart Taylor  and his crusade to ensure that the Bush administration's unitary executive t
Who Me?by digbyPeggy Noonan is bemoaning the fact that all of her rich friends are suffering from the finacial collapse because there have been no grown-ups in charge.Those who were supposed to be wat
Tweety's Runby digbyJamison Foser's column this week does a masterful job of illustrating what the Democratic Party can look forward to dealing with if it is stupid enough to back Chris Matthews for t
Midnight Ridersby ddayThis is the most unconscionable of Bush's "midnight regulations."The Bush administration, as expected, announced new protections on Thursday for health care providers who oppose
The Revolt Of The Generalsby ddayWes Clark thinks that Democrats and the military can get along.  It's a curious construction - the idea that the military has to be cajoled and persuaded into standard
Capital Offenseby digbyThe latest taser death:A man died Saturday after a Sonoma County Sheriff's deputy responding to a violent attack in a Santa Rosa home stunned him three times with a Taser, accor
Disaster Christianityby digbyStirling Newberry has an interesting post up at FDL about Rick Warren's African AIDS ministry. It's always seemed obvious to me that this was a thinly disguised conversion
Pwnership Tick Tockby digbyThe New York Times published a great article this week-end about Bush's contribution to the economic meltdown, specifically the measures his administration took in the housi
The Wingersby digbyIt seems like it comes sooner every year...Nominate here for the 2008 Golden Winger Awards for Excellence in Wingnuttery:Chickenhawk of the Year - bravest keyboarder 1. David Horowi
One Way Streetby digbyI saw something very interesting today on MSNBC. Barnicle, filling in for Matthews on Hardball, hosted Reverend Eugene Rivers, a well respected, uncontroversial African American
Moving The Goalpostsby digbyThis was inevitable.  Last week I noted that there was some thought among the Village media that if it turns out that Rahm didn't run to the prosecutors with any suspicions
Banking On Short-Term Memoryby ddayPaul Krugman appears to be in contact with the Obama transition team, which is very positive news.  It may be why the recovery package is expanding in the face of mo
Coming Togetherby digbyI have always been hard on Ann Coulter.  (I think I once called her a gelatinous bag of offal.) But I realize that I probably owe her more respect than do simply because she pro
Madoff-o-nomicsby ddayPaul Krugman had a piece last Friday on the Madoff economy where he asked the key question: "How different, really, is Mr. Madoff’s tale from the story of the investment industry
Coal In The Stocking - And The Drinking Waterby ddayThe water main break in Montgomery County, Maryland had some compelling visuals to it, with water pouring from the ground and drivers trapped in the
Hold That Pardonby digbyScooter's pals are obviously ratcheting up the pressure on Junior to pardon him again.  I even heard the foul nutball Pat Robertson going on and on about it (in the same breath
Don't Divorce Usby digbyBeltway elites almost always hate talk about messy civil rights issues and icky reproductive freedom policies because they just make social events so unpleasant. It get's so ti
It's Over When We Say It's Overby digbyI know you're all as excited as the news media is to hear all about the Obama transition team's  internal review this afternoon, but in case you aren't able to d
The Shootings At Algiers Pointby ddayAllow me to break with all journalistic convention and mention Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, which would be more than what was done during the entire Presiden
Excessive Forceby digbyA bunch of readers have sent this story to me today and it fits in quite well with another than that several forwarded to me yesterday. First, we have a vast number of ER docs s
Blagoramaby digbyDavid Shuster spent most of the morning insinuating that there is  more to the Blago-Obama story than meets the eye. In a conversation between Shuster and Jim Warren (fo0rmerly of the
The Strangling Tourniquetby ddayWe're starting to see some consideration put to the planned escalation in Afghanistan, and a lot of people are finally getting around to asking the "why" instead of acc
Fergawdsakeby digbySo, some soothsaying professor has  looked deep into Al Gore's soul and decided that he's just as nuts as Dick Cheney:More than that, he asks a simple question: Had he been elected,
Tasers Across The Pond And Everywhereby digbyFinally, someone has written a thoughtful argument against tasers in a mainstream newspaper.  It's in Britain, but they are on verge of going full taser, s
Lovin Obamaby digbyIt seems that everywhere I turn professional Republicans are falling all over themselves about how much the love our president elect. While I don't doubt that many GOP members of th
Kitsch Overloadby digbyI know I'm dead inside and all, but I just don't think I can take any more of this Obama kitsch. First it was this infomercial, featuring the opening lines, "Now you can own a p
Welcomed With Flowers, Sweets And Prescriptionsby ddayI suppose I shouldn't be alarmed by this, but I have to confess to being a little taken aback by the snickering and high-fiving in the blogosphere
Your Daily Blagoby digbyThe press seems to have decided on one of the subplots to the Blago storyline: Obama didn't adequately answer the press's "questions" (and treated them very badly in their esti
Algiers Point Updateby ddayFollowing up on a previous item about white vigilante killings of black residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Police Superintendent of New Orleans says he is
Saturday Night At The MoviesYou put THAT one on your list? No. Seriously?By Dennis HartleyIt’s that time of year- for the obligatory Top 10 lists. Recently, I took a look back at what I thought were s
R.I.P. Harold PinterBy Dennis HartleyWe had some sad news on Christmas Day. Renowned playwright, screenwriter, poet, and Nobel Laureate (for literature) Harold Pinter lost his battle with cancer. Simp
The Power Of One Manby ddayThis activist Tim DeChristopher, who bidded up parcels of land sought by oil and gas interests for drilling is really a hero.  I guess the Bureau of Land Management was all
We Just Disagreeby digbyThose of you who read this blog regularly know that I think Americans are probably not destined to all come together in comity and good will to work toward the common good any
The Great And Powerful Leftby digbyI just saw a truly depressing interview with Dennis Miller. He says that he isn't going to be like the left and try to make Obama fail the we did to Bush and claims
Who's Their Daddy?by digbyNewtie is becoming just insufferable lately and he'd better watch it or even some of his friends on the right are going to call bs on him.  In response to that idiot sending
Long Run Fantasyby digbyCondi Rice and Laura Bush are insisting that the administration will be vindicated by history for all the wonderful work it has done around the world. Rice, especially, is inte
Just Rightby digbyAt some point in the last few years I saw some conservative wag saying that the first part of the 20th century may have belonged to Keynes but the second half belonged to Hayek. I do
Progressby digbyFor all the talk about liberating the people of Iraq, nobody gives a damn about the half of the population that's demonstrably worse off than before, even in the most basic social and
Endlessby digbyI don't know what to say about what's happening in Gaza.  I'm frankly somewhat shocked that I'm watching explosions on CNN for a fourth straight day.  The only thing I can recommend at
Here Come The Obstructionistsby ddayMitch McConnell is very concerned about the people's money, and wants hearings.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voiced skepticism today about the emer
Return Of The Zombiesby digby...in which the Village begins a campaign to revise history and redeem itself for its support of George W. Bush:The idea that 44 might in the future continue to seek the c
Tearing Down Camelotby ddayI'm fairly lukewarm on Caroline Kennedy's Senate "campaign," which has consisted of her hiring insider consultants affiliated with Bloomberg and Lieberman and ringing up eli
Stop The Pressesby digbyBush is an idiot:Former administration underlings depict President Bush as a "Sarah Palin-like" leader with a short attention span who deferred on big decisions.Larry Wilkerson
Fortified For Warby ddayIn other not-yet-decided Senate news, the Minnesota Canvassing Board, which is not really a body I ever wanted to hear a lot about, basically certified the victory of Al Franke
Political Circusby digbyYou have to give Blagojevich credit --- he knows how to make politics interesting.  This latest gambit is a real pip. But there is some method to his madness, I think.  He's tr
Stimulate Thisby digbyI'm watching stupid spokesmodels on MSNBC chortle and giggle and express shock and disgust at the idea of all the "pork" that the governors have put into their stimulus requests,
A Voice For The Other Halfby digbyIt's been a rocky year for feminism, no doubt about it.  First, the media let their sexist freak flags fly during the presidential campaign and lately we've been trea
The Dead-End Kidsby ddayEve Fairbanks has an important piece about the deepening conservatism in the Congressional Republican caucus.  They have been emboldened by their little model Congress stunt on
Control The Teamby digbyJane Hamsher sez:The Illinois legislature had their chance to strip Blago of his appointment power and call a special election, but the Democrats got cute and decided they didn
Defining The Argument Downby digbyA couple of weeks a go I wrote a long piece about "legal scholar" Stuart Taylor's arguments against prosecutions against the war crimes regime called, Don't Defend It
Casualties Of Warby ddayAlberto Gonzales, a guy who wrote memos calling the Geneva Conventions quaint, who barged into John Ashcroft's hospital bed to sign off on illegal wiretapping of Americans, who
Ask The Questionby digbyThere's been a lot of speculation about how responsive the Obama administration is going to be toward their supporters and a lot of work is going toward the "change.gov" mechan
Remembering To Forgetby dday(Digby has asked me to stick around and spout off every now and again.  I consider it a privilege.)Hey, remember when the oil for food scandal was simply the gravest episod
Ugh, ugh and ughby digbyNow this stuff really makes me mad. From Dave Neiwert:[Racist prick Steve Sailor] cites the execrable Shelby Steele, who loves to pretend that "racism is dead" and that white g
The New Religious Rightby digbyFrom Eve Fairbanks at TNR:How come the most authentic anti-illegal candidates -- the ones who have been advocating a big fence and no amnesty for years -- were so hopele
Kids Todayby digby...are awesome:One of the biggest capital punishment cases to come before the U.S. Supreme Court in a generation was put together largely by a young, fresh-out-of-law-school member o
Divisive Demsby digbyThis just makes me sad:I got yapped at the other day by the Obama campaign after wondering if Sen. Barack Obama was unfavorably comparing Sen. John Edwards to Sen John Kerry, rega
Is This A Great Country Or What?by tristeroToday, I woke up to learn that perhaps the reason why Benazir Bhutto was accidentally killed by a protruding metal lever on her car's sun roof - hmm, somethi
Run For Your Lives!by ddayI know Samuel Johnson said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, but I think he meant to replace "patriotism" with "Rudy Giuliani's New Hampshire ad."  He just w
Favorablesby digbyHere's a shocker:One impact of the long run-up to Election 2008 can be seen in public perceptions of the leading Presidential candidates. After a year of campaigning with no votes ac
The girls were 17 and 18, named Sarah and Amina, and police in the affluent Dallas suburb of Las Colinas say he killed them in his own cab and is still armed and considered dangerous.  WFAA-TV in Dall
As expected, Bhutto’s assassination becomes a handy way for him and Maverick to try to push foreign policy back in front of primary voters.  She appears here for a few seconds, in fact, a move McCain
This is from today’s show.  El Rushbo chides Huckabee for Ed Rollins’ attack on him and for the Huckabee campaign’s use of identity politics:He also said flatly that Huckabee “is not a conservative.”A
Amazing what a little documentary evidence can do to concentrate the mind.  “Simply bizarre” is how the hospital’s lawyer describes the government’s handling of the investigation, which is putting it
It won’t really matter until one of the other of the Dems’ big three candidates hits Hillary with her cluelessness on Pakistan’s history, politics and elections.  But this is a start, and it might dra
We’ll save the predictions about the caucus for tomorrow.  Iowa on Thursday and New Hampshire a week from today: Who survives both and is still alive and kicking come next weekend?  Among the Democrat
I say “mistakes” because there are more than one.  ABC, following Politico’s lead, only reports on Hillary’s saying that Musharraf is “on the ballot” when he’s not in fact on the ballot, having been r
This comes courtesy of an e-mailer who thinks that with all of our negative coverage of Huck — criticizing his religious demagoguery, knocking him for his left-ish positions on immigration and foreign
The Democrats’ dovish tendencies have finally combined with Iowa’s dovish tendencies to produce a new warp speed plan for withdrawing from Iraq.It’s actually a plan to keep helping get Iraq back on it
He’s going to finish with 13%, give or take a point and either just north or just south of McCain.  Good enough to soldier on to South Carolina?  With Mitt, his social con rival, having just been deal
I don’t want to jinx it, especially given the Clintons’ knack for comebacks, but in this dark conservative hour we need a little light.  So take heart in this — as bad as I thought she’d do this after
This may be the strangest victory speech I’ve ever seen.  Huckabee campaign guru Ed Rollins seems like he really does want to punch someone’s teeth out, and any teeth will do.  Here he spars with Chri
Iowans are en route to their precinct meetings as we speak.  Things get going in earnest at 7:30 p.m. ET, as the Democratic assemblies are called to order, and then the hard business begins at eight.
Fred’s guy doesn’t want to admit it on camera but Shep, bless his heart, won’t let him get away with the on the record/off the record tapdance.  Does Shep’s theory hold up, though?  Fred’s people plan
Riehl makes the same connection I did — to those mysterious rumors of a major candidate being “Swift-Boated” at a presser on Monday, the day before New Hampshire.  Rick Moran seized on that phrase yes
Shocking if true since he’s always been touted as a potential veep for Hillary. “Directing one’s supporters” has to do with the arcane procedures of the Iowa Democratic caucus.  Unlike the GOP side, w
Click the image to watch.Kudos for their courage in even pursuing the possibility that Yaser Abdel Said may have killed his daughters out of “honor.”  But pay close attention to one of the spokesmen t
If Romney wins New Hampshire and then Huck beats him in Michigan.Think about it.  If McCain beats Mitt in NH, Michigan won’t matter terribly much to anyone except Romney.  He’ll have to have it to rem
Too far?  The debate rages in the comments to the headline item.  It’s being interpreted by some, I think, as a veiled swipe at the intelligence of evangelical voters, who made up 80+% of Huck’s suppo
This thing is the undead of controversies: No matter how many times you kill it (with facts), it just keeps coming back.  Michael Yon’s latest addresses the issue, and I agree with him on this entirel
A smart, horrifying post from Rich Lowry makes the case.  It’s fitting that this should come from the editor of NR since, although they’d never admit it, part of their motive in endorsing Mitt was sur
Dwayne Horner has a good take, to which I would add something that’s purely gut but may be valid.Much has rightly been made of Huckabee’s 1000+ clemencies and particularly the DuMond case.  That’s a l
He’s responding to Limbaugh’s criticism on the air yesterday and again last night on Fox News denying Huck the imprimatur of Reagan Republican.  Pay careful attention to his credentials here; you’ll b
You know the one, merrily cited on every Democratic politician and nutroots blog in Nutrootsville as proof that the number of Iraqis killed since 2003 in fact exceeds 600,000, fully an order of magnit
That’s not the only thing he says.  In fact, he almost sounds like two different candidates at the same time.  He simultaneously says “real Republicans” aren’t upset that he won in Iowa, when a lot of
Dodd out.  Biden out.  Richardson the gaffe machine is still in, but he’s angling for a VP slot anyway.  In the Democrat primary, the most experienced guys mattered the least and Iowa just set that in
For the Democrats, it’s all about ch-ch-changes.  Not in any particular direction, just change by the platitude pound.  First, here’s paranoid John Edwards making alliance with Barack Obama by going a
The fun begins at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.  I believe it’s the GOP up first followed by the Hillary-Obama death match at around 8:30, so if you want to catch the Republicans and then switch to Jags-Steelers,
This is why people like Rush Limbaugh say that Mike Huckabee is no conservative, and they’re right to say it.“It’s all no tax, no government there”…said as if it’s a bad thing (“not ideal”), by an adv
Romney’s interest tonight is in pushing back the Huckabee surge; Huck wants to knock off Romney now, take over as many of his supporters as he can and move on to the bigger states that Giuliani is cou
8 p.m. ET on Fox News.  The Paulnut has been put out to pasture for this one, depriving America of yet another opportunity for the other candidates to score hawkish points at his expense.  Romney vs.
Surah 10, “Jonah,” dates from late in the Meccan period, the first part of Muhammad’s prophetic career. Its name comes from v. 98, where the prophet Jonah is mentioned in passing. After another set of
The plant rumors are a-swirlin’, but given that it’s derivative of a viral ‘Net meme it’s probably just a couple of kids looking to earn immortality in the jackass hall of fame.You know what the most
The Fred has already vacated New Hampshire, where he’s likely to get beat by Ron Paul, and will skip Michigan and Nevada to make his stand in South Carolina.  That’s where Huckabee is currently turnin
And why do we seem to want to change everything?Here’s something I don’t get about the whole “change” mantra that’s sweeping the country right now: What specifically does everyone want changed?  Ask t
This Hillary Clinton proposal will give Ron Paul fits.This is not an insane proposal.  But it will, guaranteed, play up to the world’s imperialist image of us.  And the left here in the US would say a
Exhibit A in why the new Biggest Problem in the World admits no easy solutions, no matter what your candidate of choice may tell you on the stump.  The good news?  Majorities support democracy and mad
The only reason would be to avoid the humiliation of getting not just beat but stomped.  And, I guess, to spare Billy Jeff the ordeal of having his crowds respond like audiences at a Fat Elvis concert
This is from H&C last night — well known ex-Clintonista turned Hillary hater Dick Morris cites Bill Clinton’s Sister Souljah moment to predict that Hillary will use race to defeat Obama.  But among th
“Significant” being a relative term: No shots were actually fired, although they were right on the brink.  Telling a U.S. Navy ship “You will explode in a couple of minutes” usually isn’t a good idea.
There’s no doubt it’s the same guy.  He shows up in Frank Luntz’s “undecided” focus group after a debate on Sept 5 and again after last night’s debate.The allegation about him is that he’s a plant for
It could still go the other way, though that’s unlikely now.  But at this point, even if the race tightens further, and even if Obama ends up winning by a point or two, The Glacier cried, Obamania die
A steady four-point lead with fully one-third of precincts of reporting.  Geraghty’s source says the early result is misrepresentative, but Michael Barone thinks she’s in the game and there’s some wor
I don’t know when the exit polls are going to be released but the fact that CNN is starting to release stuff like this makes me think “soon.”Something to ponder while we wait: Would an enormous Obama
The sourcing’s hazy (one Clinton aide is quoted arguing against the idea but no one’s cited as being in favor) and I’m suspicious of HuffPo hitting her from her left to Obama’s obvious advantage.  But
It’s official: The Clintons are going hard negative on Obama.  Bill Clinton called out Obama on his voting record, on his rhetoric and experience today, and all on the heels of Hillary attempting to d
There are a couple of ways to look at all the turmoil in the Clinton campaign.  One, if she turns it around and actually wins the nomination, she’ll have blunted a truly historic run by Barack Obama a
It’s James Kirchick, who earned the wrath of the blogosphere’s resident Conservative of Doubt a few months ago by daring to criticize Paul for pocketing campaign cash donated by known Nazis.  Curious
Think about it.  If St. John wins today, he and Huck go into South Carolina as the odds-on favorites to take the state.  (Mitt could contend if he takes Michigan next week, but he’s expected to win th
Never mind the creepy intro she got from her supporter comparing Obama to JFK before pointedly noting that he was assassinated.  If that had happened at a Romney rally it’d be front-page news and Keit
Might as well start early. Obama’s up nine or more in almost every recent poll; he’s a lock, so keep your eye on Silky to see just how badly he flames out.  He’s averaging 18 points in the RCP tally b
I don’t know that for a fact, but Chris Wallace isn’t one to shy from tough questions and he’d never live it down if he gave the Bircher King a pass on the recent “troubles,” so expect something in th
After a disappointing second place finish in New Hampshire?  I guess rumors of Romney’s death have been greatly exaggerated.   I think that makes him today’s biggest cash generator.Here’s the campaign
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), who’s a retired Vice Admiral, says the Navy’s response to the Iranian provocation in the Straits of Hormuz over the weekend was the right response, and was the result of traini
Every four months or so, almost like clockwork.  The cast of characters never changes, either. The last round was in late August, when Iyad Allawi was lobbying Washington to knock Maliki out and re-in
Take your pick: Either the suspicions that he might pack it in after Michigan are sounder than we thought or he has less money on hand than suspected and needs to dump whatever he’s got into Michigan
The joke in our post on Monday about her crying was “SECOND LOOK AT SYMPATHY FOR HILLARY!” — which may have been exactly what happened.  Naturally it’s being sold by Bill and Hill not as emotional man
I had a laugh at the Fredheads’ expense late last night so here’s a juicy bone to chew on as atonement.  A shockingly close second in SC could, I guess, propel him a tiny bit further.  All he has to d
We have a little unfinished business from yesterday.  Allah had the post — TNR’s James Kirchick tracked down some old Ron Paul newsletters and found them…disturbing.  Now, looking over Kirchick’s work
First up, Barack Obama, who sounds so tired that the anchors ask him if Red Bull is playing any part in his campaign (My take: Red Bull is playing a part in every campaign.  And the lives of most poli
That’s the buzz this morning but for once Hewitt’s spin is closer to the truth.  As Ambinder notes, Romney’s got a devil’s triangle shaping up against him in Michigan: Huck will pull the evangelical s
Well, it’ll be entertaining watching pundits and pollsters do backflips trying to explain what happened in New Hampshire last night.  Allah already linked to Kaus’ four theories.  Kaus links to Mark H
Sorry about that.  We had to tinker with the site last night to accommodate the comment surge lately and the stylesheet is now FUBAR.  HA’s crack team of tech elves are already hard at work making rep
He needed a home run.  He got it.  More thoughts in a minute.Update: So who won?  Dean Barnett e-mails to say Huckabee.  He’s so effortless, and his answers on Israel and Christian marriage must have
The subject turns to Iran, and all the candidates but Paul express support for the restraint that the US commanders showed in dealing with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boats.  But Ron Paul l
Who wants some piping hot Fred?  Here he is taking Mike Huckabee to task for his campaign manager suggesting that the Reagan coalition is dead.  Fred then goes on to hammer Huckabee’s liberal tendenci
9 p.m. ET on Fox News from Myrtle Beach, SC.  The anticipation over Ron Paul’s impending immolation has deflated a bit thanks to his CNN appearance, but only a bit: Kudos to Wolf Blitzer for tossing h
Can anyone but the most credulous Ronulans on the face of the earth buy the spin that Ron Paul a) doesn’t know who wrote his newsletter, b) he can’t find out who wrote it and that c) he never even rea
Awesome.  As one of our commenters said last night, if the conservative coalition’s on its way to cracking up, let’s at least see a few fissures among the Democrats, too.The Narrative is already being
Be jealous, Fred Heads.  I was just on a call with the man himself.  I couldn’t get a question in edgewise with all the other bloggers who were on the call, but the sense I got from Fred is that he ex
It’s Kirchick’s story so he’s obliged to follow up but all it does is play into the apologists’ hands by shifting the question from whether Paul approves of the sentiments in the newsletters published
Yesterday in Allah’s post about the Baptist who’s not endorsing Huckabee, I updated with a link to this article that summarizes conservative issues with Mike Huckabee’s tenure as Arkansas governor.  T
The polls are grim (especially the one that has him cratering with five percent), but my black atheist heart bleeds when I see suffering like this.  Question, then: Is Mitt’s 15% about to be put back
It’s almost hilariously lame.  You only see one of the Revolutionary Guard boats actually moving, as much of the footage consists either of long shots of US ships or close-ups of a guy on the radio.
Thanks, New Hampshire:34-21-18-14-6 (Romney and Fred making up fourth and fifth respectively) — double-digits for McCain.  McCain is also ahead in South Carolina’s most recent Rasmussen poll, though t
I received this email from a military recruiter yesterday.The recruiter scanned and emailed the following form at my request.  I Photoshopped the signatures to protect both the recruiter and the recru
Someone had to say it. Reality-based indeed:It’s an identity politics round-robin! Obama’s supporters are attacking Hillary for being racially insensitive, Hillary’s supporters are attacking Obama for
To paraphrase LBJ on Cronkite, if he’s lost Reason he’s lost middle America, or at least the sliver of it that’s willing to look the other way at certain eccentricities provided they come packaged wit
The idea is that Fred needs to make South Carolina a two-man race to have any chance of winning.  Krumm thinks that by attacking Huck last night and then counting on McCain to eliminate Mitt in Michig
Tough call for righties, as it pits two core conservative experiences against each other — false accusations of racism by the left for political advantage and faith in the fact that there are no depth
Another one from MTP this morning, a day after the first fragile measure of political reconciliation passed the Iraqi parliament.  Whom to thank?  Not David Petraeus, whose claims of improved security
“Stick a fork in him. He’s done,” writes Dan Riehl.  Is he?  Judge for yourself. Not only did Huckabee credit Krikorian as the inspiration for his plan when he released it, but that was sort of the wh
Amusingly, the Politico headlines Hillary Clinton’s Meet the Press interview today “Hillary Clinton attacks Barack Obama.”  The headline is somewhat inaccurate, as Clinton spent much of that interview
No foolin’.  That’s not the only new poll showing him with a little breathing room either, although two other new ones have Maverick clinging to a one-point lead.  Good news or bad news for Fred?  A d
Sura 11, “Hud,” dates (like sura 10) from late in the Meccan period, the first part of Muhammad’s prophetic career. Its name comes from verses 50-60, which tell the story of the prophet Hud, who was a
The laughably and ironically nicknamed Free State (lose the r and it would be more accurate) is already one of only 8 states that allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses.  Several local govern
A distinction without a difference, since the sort of “private” endorsements he has in mind involve press conferences.  They can’t endorse from the pulpit or else it jeopardizes their tax-exempt statu
On Friday I went to see Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s latest, Sweeney Todd.  It’s probably the strangest film I’ve ever seen, equal parts heavily designed fantasy flick, musical theater and buckets-o-b
Over the weekend, BET founder Robert Johnson went to bat for the Clintons against Sen. Barack Obama, and made an openly veiled swipe at Obama’s past drug use.  Confronted with the second Clinton ally
Alright Cowboy haters, here’s your moment of zen: TO crying in the post-game press conference after the Cowboys became the first #1 seed since the NFL playoff format was changed in 1990 to lose its pl
Looks like the nets are waiting until the very last Michigan poll closes in 40 minutes to call it but it’s clearly Mitt’s night.  And Fred’s too: Compare and contrast.If Romney wins, it guarantees tha
The substance of Morris’ argument boils down to Edwards remaining in the race helps Hillary, and if he goes, so does she.  Agreed, as things stand now the Dem race is winding down to two candidates an
I’m not sure that Newt Gingrich is the best person to ask about the status of conservatism these days, since Gingrich has imbibed the snake oil that Al Gore is selling.  And if you read Gingrich’s “Re
It reads like an obituary, in which case it’s premature: According to Politico, Team Romney’s feeling confident enough about Michigan that they’re going back on the air in South Carolina.  So much for
I don’t agree with columnist Richard Cohen very often, but in this case he’s hard to argue with.Cohen goes on to build the case against Farrakhan, though he leaves out the Nation of Islam’s leader’s e
The suits in the DNC must have gotten to Marlyand Governor Martin O’Malley.  Not two days ago he was proposing a two-tiered drivers license system for the state, a secure license for citizens and lega
Via the ‘Busters.  It’s not quite a conspiracy, he assures us, just a coalescing of power complexes around the mortal threat to their fat-cat status posed by his candidacy.  Scratch the surface of any
Just 90 seconds but it’s a nice window into where everyone stands.  We’ve been preoccupied with the GOP so we haven’t been following the standoff in Nevada between the Hillary-supporting teachers unio
Bill Clinton was president for 8 years and governor of Arkansas for, what, 12?  Hillary Clinton has been a corporate lawyer, first lady of a state and the country, and a senator.  You can’t get much m
Some of them, anyway.  He denies it but Weigel and Sanchez have half a dozen sources saying it’s so.  That’s good news, actually, since Paul will be finished as a political force once the campaign’s o
These clips are from last night’s Democrat debate.  In the first, John Edwards is asked about energy.  He opposes building new nuclear power plants but also opposes US exploration and exploitation of
Don’t shoot the messenger.  They claim to have Minnesota Supreme Court precedent to back them up.The precedent isn’t named but a little googling reveals that it’s probably State v. Bryant, 287 Minn. 2
Remember them?  They’ve been at it this for than a month, all to the supposed consternation of the man who couldn’t quite bear to run attack ads against Romney before screening one for the press.  Mit
There may have been a bombshell buried in last night’s Democrat debate.  It depends on whether John Edwards misspoke or accidentally let an inconvenient fact slip out.And it goes on from there to desc
As testy as Mitt’s capable of getting, that is.  The real confrontation comes towards the end, when one of his spokesmen and then a passerby get up in the reporter’s face.  The charge is that Romney,
Romney’s campaign has decided to skip South Carolina, appear in Nevada for a couple of days and then head south, so the ad below begins its run in Florida today.  With Giuliani cratering and McCain su
He’s searched his soul and concluded that his remarks really weren’t innocent after all.  The boss accuses KP of wrongly insisting yesterday that Hillary had denounced Johnson’s comments.  Is she righ
Worth a post after all the comments on the headlines item.  Which stage of Fred-loss grief is Hillyer at?  It’s not quite denial since he knows the odds are long.  It’s not quite bargaining since he’s
T-minus 24 hours and counting until, in all likelihood, his political career’s over.  I can’t resist one last poke at the Fredhead beehive for old time’s sake.The argument comes from Patrick Ruffini:
The comment came during an interview with CNN this morning.  I’m not going to rant about this.  I will point out that Huckabee’s position doesn’t square up well with the Constitution’s amendment proce
I don’t want to refight the political war that started on the Drudge Report 10 years ago, but Hillary Clinton was on the Tyra show today and did address that topic.  I don’t want to pile on the initia
Barone was just on Fox saying they can’t say yet who’ll win but they know for sure who won’t — Mitt and Fred, both lagging and locked in a battle for third place.  Is a 15-14 “victory” for third place
The polls are open; last chance for Fred.  Our tipsters rage against the dying of the light by pointing to the new ARG showing him jumping eight points in two days.  Significant?  ARG is traditionally
Sura 12, “Joseph,” is another late Meccan sura. It was revealed, says Maududi, “when the Quraish” — the pagan Arabs of Mecca, and the tribe of which Muhammad was a member – “were considering the quest
It’s sad that Bill Clinton was given the designation of being the country’s first black president.  He’s not black.  It’s weird that I have to point that out, but it’s true.  When this country finally
An unhappy prospect, the converse of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  If it’s being fixed, why break it again?  The Times guesses this is aimed at guaranteeing Petraeus a hand in the next administr
And why they love him probably won’t surprise you.None of those are conservative positions, and the papers do the usual hatchet job regarding torture — it’s not that McCain “refused to condone” tortur
A follow-up to Bryan’s post yesterday.  Note well the results of Ruffini’s poll: Fred’s continued presence in the race is killing Romney, especially in Florida where he’s got double digits banked but
Story #1: Chinese Christian rejected on asylum because her interrogator is an illiterate.  Or intentionally tried to confuse the asylum-seeker during her interview process.  The woman, who had convert
When you have kids, there are toys and then there are toys.  For Christmas, my 8-year-old got a toy from my brother’s family — an indoor RC helicopter called the Black Ghost.  Here’s video of one in a
How come?  Because (a) you can’t abandon a talking point you’ve been clinging to for five years, especially this close to an election, and (b) neither side is confident that the status quo is really t
Let’s just say that Laura Ingraham and Michael Medved don’t see eye to eye on John McCain’s claim to be a conservative.  Laura tees off on a topic that NRO’s Andrew McCarthy hit the other day: McCain’
Too bad to check, although it’d certainly explain his half-hearted campaigning.  He wanted to be VP, was surprised to find major buzz behind a presidential run, took a stab at it to see if he could co
Fox had all kinds of technical trouble with its Campaign Carl Cam, but the gist gets through: Mitt lauds Fred’s commitment to the entire Reagan coalition and expects, or rather hopes, Thompson’s exit
Ambinder says so and Carl Cameron is reporting it on Fox now.  Stand by for updates.Update: Cameron says it could come tonight or tomorrow.  He’s already informed his campaign headquarters, in person.
So he says and Geraghty seems to agree, offering the hypothetical example of Bush I stumping for Dubya by comparison.  The problem is that it’s hard to say how much of Clinton’s influence over voters
Geraghty’s got it.  He’s down to single digits in Florida, he’s not campaigning and won’t be at the debate, and his website isn’t running any big front-page fundraising pitches despite having barely h
The Prowler says he’s broke, but then the Prowler says a lot of things.  Even if he’s not broke, he’s not swimming in dough and ad buys don’t come cheap there.  So he’s expanding his campaign througho
Michelle just put these clips up, and they’re important.  They’re both from C-SPAN this morning, first Rep. Dennis Kucinich jumping off the Soros-funded “study” to make his case for impeaching Preside
Unlike the obviously flawed study that the AP, CNN, NYT et al are flogging as if it’s unvarnished truth, this study wasn’t funded by a billionaire sugar daddy with an ax to grind.  It was conducted by
Pro-life, pro-federalism, anti-amnesty, and bonded to their man by a hero-worship so fanatic they’ve convinced themselves he’s the only man who can save America: It’s a natural match.  Except for the
It comes at the tail end of the clip, at around 2:25.  In Dave’s defense, I had this same reaction the first time I saw the iPhone at the AT&T store.  Just to touch it and know: Yes, it’s real. And ye
This AP story should have been labeled a press release.  That’s what it amounts to.This late in the war, I’m not even sure why anyone would bother trotting out the “Bush LIED, people DIED” line.  If y
To be honest, this debate has been a snore.  But here are a couple of semi-interesting moments.  In the first, Mike Huckabee makes some sense on the economic stimulus.  He says, essentially, if we’re
9 p.m. ET on MSNBC.  “And then there were two and a half” would be more accurate.  Giuliani’s still in the mix but he’s pulling only 11% on InTrade; Huckabee barely rates.  If trends hold it’s Mitt ve
Old news but I didn’t understand it when it first broke in November and I still don’t.  So let’s try again.  Says 60 Minutes:So, because he so feared an Iranian invasion, he decided to keep mum about
The segment begins, appropriately, with John McCain talking about illegal immigration in a way that must have a demagogue like John Edwards glowing with silky green envy.  Edwards the lord of the gino
A knotty problem.  Ideally Iraq will fall apart on his watch, thereby destroying his heroic reputation and making it difficult for him to quit as head of MNF-I lest he be seen as leaving his men behin
We’ve been remiss in not blogging this so let me put it on your radar screen now as the film’s due to drop in the next week or two.  Michael van der Galien’s got all the links you need at PJM.  No one
I thought it was Brian Williams prompting Russert but Williams says it’s news to him.  Raw Story contacted NBC and got the runaround — open mike, mysterious voice, no way to know, we’re working on it.
Let me preface this post by saying that I would love to support John McCain for president.  I would loooooove it.  Electing him to the presidency would be the biggest and boldest finger in the eye to
Silky v1.0: Ambulance chaser. Silky v2.0: Al Qaeda chaser.  Bob Novak says he and Obama struck a deal to make him AG in return for Edwards sticking around, stockpiling whatever delegates he can, and t
Ah yes.  The man allegedly handpicked by Bush and Rove for RNC chairman because of his stalwart shilling for amnesty, including a bill co-sponsored with Chuck Hagel that could conceivably have legaliz
John McCain says that he has heard the American people and now understands that we need to secure the border before enacting any “comprehensive” immigration reform.  But John McCain has also said that
A Hillary loss is a Hillary win, says the smart set, so long as the result can be spun as racially dictated and Obama consequently “ghettoized” (in Kaus’s phrase) as the black candidate.  If the predi
No, assuredly not.  Well, yes, yes, perhaps so.They’ll rally around her, of course, just as most conservatives will rally around McCain.  Never underestimate tribalism, especially in a two-party syste
So hard up for cash is he that he can’t afford to run this on Florida broadcast stations, even though a state with no income tax is an easy mark for this line of argument.  Ah well.  You’ll find no Ch
Unlike Kerry’s, this one might actually do some good.Having him and Caroline endorse as a pair will go a long way towards sidetracking the post-Carolina “black candidate” narrative Team Hillary’s tryi
I posted part of the old GMA interview in yesterday’s item on this but the video doesn’t have the full quote.  Let’s remedy that now:The whole point of this line of attack is to lump Romney in with th
I saw it Saturday, and pretty much agree with Ace’s take on it.  I probably liked the monster design a little more than he did though.  It’s an ugly beast but seems naturalistic. And I agree that the
This sura dates, like suras 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12, from late in the Meccan period, the first period of Muhammad’s career as a prophet. Its name comes a phrase in v. 13, “the thunder repeats his praises
Barack Obama’s defeat in the Nevada caucus revealed a weakness that the Clintons have been only too happy to exploit: Obama doesn’t win with Democrat Hispanic voters, or at least he didn’t in that sta
John Fund reports the quote today, in a long piece about how John McCain can patch things up with conservatives.After NRO picked up that quote, McCain campaign staffer Steve Schmidt emailed the follow
I do.  I was in 10th grade history class with Coach Koonce.  I think we were studying the Assyrians, but I could be wrong about that.  Most classes had a TV in them to watch the launch since it was th
His name is Jerry Perenchio, and he’s a national finance co-chair of the McCain campaign.  You can find him listed on McCain’s website.  Perenchio has a long history of thwarting the people’s will whe
Early vote counts are expected at 8 p.m. ET, fuller results by 9.  High drama on two fronts, needless to say, both in the Romney/Maverick showdown and the last rites coming for Rudy at Giuliani HQ.  A
Geraghty’s got ‘em.  Absentee ballots aren’t included but I can’t think of a reason why they’d break dramatically differently, unless Rudy does a few points better from people who mailed theirs in whe
Oh, that’s the stuff.And so they were!  Although no story of Clintonian malfeasance is complete without the inevitable semantic parsing, so here you go: Team Glacier informs us that no, the events she
It starts off reasonably enough, but Romney starts to school host Tampa Bay 1040 WWBA host Mark Larsen and by extension Ron Paul on taxes and entitlements and you can feel the rails start to give way.
The Hammer and I had a two-hour IM argument on this very subject to pass the time during the last debate, to no good end.  Chuck’s asking, implicitly, “Where would Romney be today if not for his dough
The most ridiculous spectacle of the 2008 campaign season might be 75-year-old Ted Kennedy, a man who has spent his entire career in politics, a man who has often personified divisive, attack-based po
In which conservatives are condescended to exquisitely for caring about immigration (and campaign finance reform and waterboarding and pandering gestures towards lowest-common-denominator economic pop
There are a couple of ways to look at this exchange between McCain and Romney over Iraq (which I’ve edited for brevity’s sake).  One, John McCain is too thick-headed to understand the difference betwe
8 p.m. ET on CNN.  Romney gets a rare opportunity, at the Reagan library no less: If he figures out a way to take down McCain, he’ll capture the base’s imagination instantly.  People were aching for s
A horrible thought.  Rudy gave up on the state in mid-December; as of December 12 or so, he and McCain were both pulling around 18%.  A week later Giuliani was off 4-5 points and Maverick was in the m
Contrary to rumors spawned by a show-opening satire, Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich haven’t learned to speak RINO overnight.  They didn’t come out for “modernizing” the party or any of that.  They als
Not that what I wrote had anything to do with this, but I did suggest that McCain could begin to mend fences with conservatives by attending CPAC personally this year.  In that post, which was mostly
The ‘Busters found it but their clip omits the obligatory comparisons to Lincoln, Churchill, and JFK so here’s the extended cut.  This makes three examples of Matthews emoting over Obama on the air in
Also known as “the other reason to prefer McCain.”  Don’t take the Obama poll too seriously: I think the only candidate left on either side who can beat him is Hillary.  Like Steyn says, Romney has no
Medved used McCain’s last victory to flog the industry for being irrelevant, a dubious point given the fact that he’d won only open primaries to that point but decidedly less dubious this morning with
Just across on Fox.  Now we get to find out for sure if his supporters are Obama voters or Hillary voters in disguise.  Stand by.Update: What happened to the “kingmaker at the convention” strategy?  U
Well, Florida has certainly clarified the status of the race for the presidency.  On the Republican side, much to my chagrin John McCain is the presumptive nominee.  The race’s dynamics give him the e