I have to admit to a bit of conflict here: Bush threatens to veto expansion of hate-crime law — The long-debated bill would expand the federal law to include violent acts motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation, gender or disability. WASHINGTON — The House, defying a fresh veto threat, passed legislation today to expand the federal hate-crime law to include
Read moreOne of the reasons our mission here at S&R is as broad as it is – our writers address cultural forms like literature and popular music as well as the hardball political issues that directly shape our public lives – emerges in part from my own feeling that too much politics is tough on the soul. It’s necessary, of course,
Read moreTom Schaller has a fascinating take today on the evolution of the political center. To use his analogy, it’s evolved from a one-humped camel to a two-humped dromedary, statistically speaking. The one thing media talking heads agree upon is that the center prevails. Turn on almost any of the nation’s political talk shows and pretty soon somebody will say how
Read moreTom Schaller has a fascinating take today on the evolution of the political center. To use his analogy, it’s evolved from a one-humped camel to a two-humped dromedary, statistically speaking. The one thing media talking heads agree upon is that the center prevails. Turn on almost any of the nation’s political talk shows and pretty soon somebody will say how
Read moreWe’ve heard a great deal on the issue of gun control in the wake of Virginia Tech – not surprisingly – and as is always the case when these debates flare up we see a fairly predictable framing: “conservative” = pro-gun, “liberal” = gun control. If you’re a fairly measured reader, which I think I am, you see comment on
Read moreAn old friend and colleague, UCLA’s Dr. Doug Kellner, has been doing some analysis of the media spectacle surrounding the recent shootings at Virginia Tech. This is part of a larger body of research that he’s conducting, and is illuminating reading for anybody who paid any attention at all to the way the event was covered, mis-covered, hyped and exploited.
Read moreWhich prominent American leader said the following? “Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.” “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
Read moreUPDATE: – BREAKING: Americans ate 3 million melamine-tainted chickens! In a conference call with media this afternoon, USDA Assistant Administrator Kenneth Petersen revealed that as many as 3 million chickens, contaminated with melamine from a single Indiana feed mill, have already been slaughtered, distributed and eaten. An additional 100,000 breeder chickens are currently being voluntarily quarantined by farmers. Well, great.
Read moreThinkProgress has compiled a compelling side-by-side numbers chart comparing the sitch in Iraq today with where it was when Dubya pulled his little Top Gun stunt and declared victory. Warning: these numbers aren’t pretty.
Read moreThe melamine-spiking story continues to build, and so far nothing about it offers any reason for comfort. HorsesAss offers a mortifying blow-by-blow here, and after reading it you have to wonder not whether you have Chinese melamine in your system, but how much. He also points to the curious tone and timing of a joint USDA/FDA release that tries awfully
Read moreHere’s some maybe good news: Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and eight co-sponsors have introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act, which has several major provisions: Nullifies the recent decision of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) judges. Changes the Internet royalty rate-setting standard so that it’s the same as the one that applies to satellite radio royalty arbitrations.
Read moreNothing’s quite as entertaining as watching a politician being flogged to death with his own words. Courtesy of FromtheRoots.org, we have Jim Inhofe (R-OK) then: Our intelligence system has said that we know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction — I believe including nuclear. And now:
Read morePresident Bush today said that embattled World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz, currently embroiled in yet another BushCo scandal, “ought to stay” in his position. This comes hot on the heels of Bush’s show of support for buddy Alberto Gonzales, whose leadership at Justice has been such a festering embarrassment that even loyal Republicans are howling for his head. This is
Read morePresident Bush today said that embattled World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz, currently embroiled in yet another BushCo scandal, “ought to stay” in his position. This comes hot on the heels of Bush’s show of support for buddy Alberto Gonzales, whose leadership at Justice has been such a festering embarrassment that even loyal Republicans are howling for his head. This is
Read moreThe Dem debate the other night featured first tier candidates and second tier candidates, but a guy that many people never heard of – calling him third-tier is generous – stole the show. No telling where this goes, but for the moment Mike Gravel is extremely popular among those who saw the debate and cared enough to voice an opinion.
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