Over the past four days, I have gone through a lot of emotions about the tragedy in Newtown, CT.
My initial reaction was shock, followed by passionate anger and defensiveness at almost every post I saw on social media. I felt that I was suddenly surrounded by callous idiots.
I saw posts about how the mentally ill should put a bullet in their own heads before they hurt someone else.… [Read more]
As a writer I love words and language. I like the force of words, how they echo in the mind long after they’ve registered. I never take for granted how powerful words can be, so when people pervert language to delude and mislead, I know stupid things can happen.
There is one long trail of stupid running behind Republican pollster Frank Luntz, aptly described as the godfather of the conservative spin machine.… [Read more]
Let me start by saying I am not anti-gun.
My dad, my grandpa, my uncles, and my brothers are hunters; I grew up around guns. I even learned to shoot one when I was a kid.
I don’t believe in banning firearms or revoking our right to bear arms.
I do believe that there has to be firmer control over guns though.… [Read more]
The recent news that the U.S. and NATO warned the Syrian regime about the repercussions of using chemical weapons against rebel forces, prompted me to wonder—is the United States obligated to further involve itself in the Syrian civil war if the regime uses chemical weapons against its own people? And, if the answer to that is a “yes,” then to what extent?… [Read more]
Some might look at the Republican flight from Grover Norquist’s legendary “tax pledge” as evidence that, finally, Republicans are stepping up and doing what’s best for Americans. Some might see this Republican exodus as proof that, finally, Republicans are done being guided by zealots and are frankly tired of losing elections. Some might see this Republican rejection of Norquist as courageous. … [Read more]
In case you’re not aware, today is “Giving Tuesday“. According to the organisation’s website:
#GivingTuesday™ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.
The Giving Tuesday campaign is the brainchild of the deputy executive director of the Jewish community center 92nd Street Y, Henry Timms, and Kathy Calvin, CEO of the United Nations Foundation. … [Read more]
If you haven’t been keeping up, since President Obama’s re-election, Republicans have morphed into a bunch of embittered, whiny, cranky crybabies. Mitt Romney, blaming his loss on Obama “gifts” to special groups. Paul Ryan, blowing dog-whistle about the large turnout of the “urban vote.” And then there’s the pièce de résistance, Peter Morrison.
This little-known Tea Party wacknut in Texas is demanding “an ‘amicable divorce’ from…the ‘maggots’” who voted for Obama.… [Read more]
It was the day of the election and we were talking about gay marriage.
“I think what really needs to happen is that people need to educate each other on tolerance and acceptance, because even if the federal government passes a law legalizing gay marriage, it won’t change people’s minds,” she said.
Then, after gay marriage won victories in Maine and Maryland, I was talking to another friend about the same thing.… [Read more]
Several days before the presidential election, I became overwhelmed by the negativity, from both sides, associated with the campaign and openly wished for it to simply be over. Now, a week after the election, it appears that I am going through some type of withdrawal. Thus, in order to satiate my need for a presidential campaign fix, I feel compelled to engage in what seems to be every Democrat’s favorite post-election past-time: speculating on whether Hillary Clinton will run for president in 2016.… [Read more]
Even die-hard partisan pundits realize there are issues far more important than politicians gaffing despite the best efforts of their retinues of handlers, spin doctors, and well-heeled donors.
First of all, a title change is in order. Basset Hounds are not “dogs.” For the happily possessed who have ever been owned by a long, low, flop eared, often drooling, and stubborn pooch long ago bred by French monks with no sense of proportion, the Basset Hound is unique.… [Read more]
Like many progressives, I went to sleep on Tuesday night with an easier mind. I knew that I was waking up on Wednesday to President Barack Obama for a second term.
But the post-mortem for conservatives began before election night was over. On CNN, Republican pundit Alex Castellanos was dissecting Mitt Romney’s political approach and why it wasn’t effective, apparently bracing himself for a Romney loss.… [Read more]
Next week many voters will breathe a sigh of relief. The political ads that have saturated the airwaves, driving us all insane, will thankfully come to an end. Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, you have my sympathy. Maryland is solidly blue – far from a battleground state – but an epic battle is brewing over a question on the statewide ballot, sparking a $60 million ad war over casino gambling.… [Read more]
Nothing fries the circuits of the proud, ostensibly principled American progressive psyche to the same degree of fricassee as the Right (Troglodyte Division) in its fullest and finest bellow. From my safe, snowball throwing perch on the Canadian south coast, I read, mark, and inwardly digest the US presidential campaign detritus flung northward. I am constantly amazed at how readily Democrats rise to the bait cast so effortlessly by the baying conservative sportsmen.… [Read more]
On November 2nd a jobs report will be released — just a few days before the Presidential election. The monthly jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has long been the object of intense focus among denizens of the Beltway and Wall Street due to the impact that the numbers contained therein have on politics, business and the economy.… [Read more]
Monday night, I knew exactly what I was going to write about: The third and final presidential debate on foreign policy, with Romney acting a fool and a typical blunderbuss (when, that is, he wasn’t telling the American public that, when it came to President Obama’s foreign policy, he wouldn’t change a thing). And then there were the post-debate Tweets from conservatives which demonstrated, without question, that right-wingers are in the grip of demonic possession. … [Read more]
Throughout most of his campaign, as well as during Monday’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney has taken strong, uncompromising stances on an array of countries for supporting terrorism or tyrannical actions and policies. Yet during Monday night’s debate, there was one country where Romney seemed to take a 360 on in regards to this “zero-tolerance” approach.
Despite illiberal policies and continued support for fanatical terrorist groups by factions of the government and military, Romney strongly warned against any type of weakening or severing of U.S.-Pakistani relations.… [Read more]
Aside from Mitt Romney’s bird problem – and what went largely unnoticed during the second presidential debate was his sneering jab at the Keystone pipeline, and his accusation that the Obama Administration launched a criminal action against the drilling: ”. . . 20 or 25 birds were killed and brought out a migratory bird act to go after them on a criminal basis” – he’s got a lady parts problem.… [Read more]
During recent months, much has been said about President Obama’s economic policies. The GOP have relentlessly claimed his ‘reckless’ spending spree is making matters worse. The Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney thinks the government is spending too much, and is failing to create any new jobs. With less than a month before election day Romney still hasn’t given us any concrete plans on how he plans to remedy this situation.… [Read more]
No good deed goes unpunished, particularly a good deed offered to someone who views life through the lens of naked greed and ambition. Enter Nebraska Republican Senate candidate Deb Fischer, a woman without scruples, neighborly values, or a moral center. We can talk more – all day, in fact – about the reasons honest, honorable Bob Kerrey should be elected, but this story is about his opponent, Deb Fischer, and a land grab that violates pretty much every rule we’ve ever been taught about human values, honesty and compassion.… [Read more]
Electoral politics generally involves promising the impossible. During the 2008 election, Obama promised stabilization of Afghanistan, improved relations with Iran, and justice for the people of Darfur, Sudan. And before him, numerous other presidential candidates and politicians have promised results that were, by most measures, highly unlikely to be reached. It’s the nature of beast.
However, we may have reached a new high in outlandish foreign policy promises with Mitt Romney’s latest speech at the Virginia Military Institute.… [Read more]
