“If I became a monster today, and decided to kill them, one by one, they would become aware only after most of the flock had been slaughtered, thought the boy. They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment.” - The Alchemist, Paul Coelho, 1988 Belling the Cat is a medieval fable about a group of mice who gather … [Read more...] about BELLING THE CAT
2008 Elections
MAMMON SMIRKED
The Republican Party is all fringe and no center. But the GOP leadership is another story. It has essentially run the country as a perverse public/private partnership for decades. Our tragic flaw, as the ancient Greeks would say, is that we continually fail to understand the difference between Republican strategy and Republican tactics. We’re a lazy bunch here in America. We … [Read more...] about MAMMON SMIRKED
Candid Obama Says ‘Hand Wringing’ After Debate Will Ebb
Candid Obama says 'hand wringing' after debate will ebb (via AFP) US President Barack Obama admitted Wednesday he was "too polite" in his debate with Mitt Romney, but predicted Democratic "hand wringing" would soon subside over his limp performance. Obama, in his broadest comments yet on a debate that apparently turned the White House race towards Mitt Romney, … [Read more...] about Candid Obama Says ‘Hand Wringing’ After Debate Will Ebb
Obama: No Retreat, No Surrender
WASHINGTON -- It was to be expected that in the course of his State of the Union address, President Obama would mention the killing of Osama bin Laden, whose death represented the culmination of the battle against terrorism that began on Sept. 11, 2001. Far less expected was Obama's use of the bin Laden episode to present a community-minded worldview that contrasts so … [Read more...] about Obama: No Retreat, No Surrender
Do Only Conservative Victories Count?
WASHINGTON -- In 2008, the largest number of voters in American history gave the Democrats their largest share of the presidential vote in 44 years and big majorities in the House and Senate. How did Republicans react? They held their ideological ground, refused to give an inch to the new president, and insisted that persistent opposition would eventually yield them … [Read more...] about Do Only Conservative Victories Count?
Elections Can’t Cure America’s ‘Disease’: The Beijing Times, People’s Republic of China
So what's the view of Beijing to the recent 2010 midterms? Not only do the U.S. elections appear unlikely to encourage China to set aside dictatorship for pluralism, according to this article by Mao Yingying for China's state-run Beijing Times, America itself would be better off reconsidering how its 'so-called democracy' should run. For the Beijing Times, Mao Yingying … [Read more...] about Elections Can’t Cure America’s ‘Disease’: The Beijing Times, People’s Republic of China
Obama: An American Anomaly? – Folha, Brazil
Continuing with our global survey of reaction to the 2010 midterm elections, which is more out of place, the Republican midterm election landslide, or President Obama's huge victory in 2008? After some soul searching, Folha columnist Clovis Rossi suggests that the 2010 U.S. elections may just be a sign that things in America are getting back to normal. For Folha, Clovis … [Read more...] about Obama: An American Anomaly? – Folha, Brazil
A Dire Midterm Result for the U.S. and the World: La Jornada, Mexico
Continuing with our global roundup of reaction to the U.S. midterm elections, this editorial from Mexico's La Jornada expresses grave concern about the consequences of resurgent U.S. conservatism. Yesterday's La Jornada editorial says in part: What happened yesterday in the United States is the triumphal return of political and social conservatism, vanquished in 2008 in … [Read more...] about A Dire Midterm Result for the U.S. and the World: La Jornada, Mexico
Blaming China Led Obama to Midterm Election Defeat: Wen Wei Po, Hong Kong
Can the results of the U.S. midterm elections be credibly traced to the Obama Administration's policy of blaming the yuan's peg to the dollar for America's fiscal woes? According to this editorial from Hong Kong's Beijing-friendly Wen Wei Po, if President Obama had focused his attention on improving the competitiveness of U.S. companies and removing trade barriers with China … [Read more...] about Blaming China Led Obama to Midterm Election Defeat: Wen Wei Po, Hong Kong
Pravda, McCain, Obama, Egypt and Arizona: What is the Connection?
According to the Associated Press, the Arizona House on Wednesday approved a bill that would require U.S. presidential candidates who want to appear on the ballot in Arizona to submit documents proving they meet the constitutional requirements to be president. Of course, one of those constitutional requirements is that the candidate must be a natural born citizen, i.e. born … [Read more...] about Pravda, McCain, Obama, Egypt and Arizona: What is the Connection?
Stop the Presses! Barack Obama Has Been Resurrected!: Folha, Brazil
Now that President Obama has his health care victory, can we say that the global media been too quick to pronounce President Obama a messiah, and then dead, and then resurrected? Continuing with Worldmeets.US' coverage of the global reaction to U.S. health reform, Brazilian columnist Clovis Rossi writes that while he is convinced that time in the modern world is speeding up - … [Read more...] about Stop the Presses! Barack Obama Has Been Resurrected!: Folha, Brazil
The Contradictions of Obamaism (Guest Voice) UPDATED
Editor's Note: This column has been updated so we're running this again at the top of TMV. WASHINGTON -- It turns out there were core contradictions in the promises Barack Obama made to the country in 2008. They caught up with his party on Tuesday in Massachusetts. Things will not get easier. Republicans in Congress will be empowered to hold to their course of … [Read more...] about The Contradictions of Obamaism (Guest Voice) UPDATED
Bill Clinton’s Image Takes A Triple Hit in New Book Game Change
The upcoming book Game Change reportedly contains three revelations that will further soil the reputation of former President Bill Clinton, whose reputation took a big hit during his wife Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful campaign against Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. Since Obama's election, the unsinkable Bill Clinton has regained much of his … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton’s Image Takes A Triple Hit in New Book Game Change
McCain’s Campaign Team Disses Sarah Palin In Vanity Fair Piece
Members of Arizona Senator John McCain's 2008 Presidential campaign team have dissed McCain's former running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, the New York Daily News reports -- and in a big way: In an expansive story in the August edition of Vanity Fair, a slew of senior members of McCain's campaign team told reporter Todd S. Purdum that … [Read more...] about McCain’s Campaign Team Disses Sarah Palin In Vanity Fair Piece
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Who’s Afraid of Big Government? Not Us
Alan I. Abramowitz on Who's Afraid of Big Government? Not Us Barack Obama has been pulling the wool over the eyes of the American people. At least that's what some conservative pundits are claiming. Despite his current popularity, commentators such as Michael Barone, Dick Morris, and Karl Rove are predicting that Mr. Obama's approval ratings will come crashing down to earth … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Who’s Afraid of Big Government? Not Us
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Back to the Future for Obama
Alan I. Abramowitz on Back to the Future for Obama: Comparing the 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elections Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election represented one of the most dramatic shifts in political power in American history. In terms of both style and substance, the contrast between Obama and George W. Bush is perhaps as great as that between any … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Back to the Future for Obama
Bring Out Your Dead!
I was pointed to this story from Minnesota Majority by Hot Air and Yid with Lid. Normally one only finds stories of miraculous resurrection either in Easter services or the South Side of Chicago, but apparently the phenomenon has spread to the frozen wastelands of Minnesota. Today, Minnesota Majority announced the discovery of individuals who were deceased prior to November … [Read more...] about Bring Out Your Dead!
With Judge Sotomayor, Obama Boosts Image of U.S. Supreme Court: La Jornada, Mexico
So how are people in Latin America reacting to the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic member of the U.S. Supreme Court? In the first of a series of articles from Latin America on the subject, this editorial from Mexico's La Jornada emphasizes the way she is likely to begin to balance out the right-of-center appointments of George W. Bush. This … [Read more...] about With Judge Sotomayor, Obama Boosts Image of U.S. Supreme Court: La Jornada, Mexico
Today’s Glimmers of Economic Hope
Because I am optimistic about our economy, about Americans and about America, I have been writing about the “glimmers of economic hope” I see day after day, week after week, in our efforts to dig ourselves out of the economic mess we find our nation in. Sometimes the glimmers are quite encouraging, sometimes they are faint, transient and hardly noticeable---but glimmers of … [Read more...] about Today’s Glimmers of Economic Hope
REPUBLICANS SHOULD GIVE PRESIDENT OBAMA A LONG ROPE
This is a continuation of my prior posting “Republicans need a vacation.” If the fierce critics of President Obama really want his Administration and liberal Democrats to fail, they should not be vociferously opposing them. Instead of arguing abstractly and hypothetically about terrible things that might happen if the President gets his way, most Americans will want … [Read more...] about REPUBLICANS SHOULD GIVE PRESIDENT OBAMA A LONG ROPE