As January 20 grows larger in the window, Ive been thinking more often about the Bush legacy -- specifically about certain aspects of the presidents record that are in danger of being completely obliterated and replaced with myths and wholesale
Employers had benefited from record levels of unpaid overtime provided by their workers last year in a further extension of the long-hours culture that has characterised the British workplace, the TUC said today. More than five million people gave free
A Malibu man arrested in an alleged $15 million Ponzi-like scheme that financed a lavish lifestyle that included private jets and the production of a movie starring Busta Rhymes is scheduled to make his initial appearance in a Los Angeles
Mohammed Shaheen, a volunteer with Palestinian Red Crescent, was in the first convoy of ambulances to reach the site of the blast in Zeitoun since it was first occupied then shelled by the Israeli army. His testimony confirmed accounts, first
LyondellBasell Industries on Tuesday became the first major casualty of a recent downturn in the chemical industry, filing for bankruptcy protection amid plunging sales and massive debts.The Dutch chemical giant, with major operations in Houston, blamed the move on a
Although President-elect Obama has decided to keep Robert Gates as defense secretary, and while Gates has reportedly chosen to keep as many as 160 of the 250 Schedule C political appointees at the Pentagon, uncertainty remains about top-tier posts...
So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNNs Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I dont have a problem with Guptas qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You dont have to like Moore or his film;
WASHINGTONThe Social Security Administration, envisaging the near-future prospect of 10,000 baby boomers applying for benefits every day, has put together a new online service that will allow people to get their benefits without ever traveling to a Social Security field
Papua New Guinea police have branded as barbaric the murder of a young woman burnt alive after being blindfolded and gagged with her arms and legs lashed to a pole.The body of the woman, believed aged between 16 and 20,
WASHINGTON Retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki pledged to move quickly to fix gaps in health care if confirmed as Veterans Affairs secretary, saying he will reopen benefits to hundreds of thousands of middle-income veterans denied during the Bush administration.In
Iraqi authorities have closed a major shrine in Baghdads Kadhimiya area to women amid security concerns as a Shia religious ceremony reaches its climax.Ashura is among the holiest days for Shia Muslims, but women will be barred from the Imam
Discount clothing chain Goodys Family Clothing will begin liquidating its stores on Friday as the retailer becomes 1 of the years first victims of the worsening economy.Cooley Godward Kronish LLP partner Cathy Hershcopf says the move affects the Knoxville, Tenn.-based
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Shipping Partners LP, a carrier of petroleum products, is in talks with lenders after defaulting on $333 million of debt, becoming at least the fifth shipping line worldwide to succumb to a collapse in cargo
Here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the liberal capital of frizzy hair and encyclopedic grudges trailing back to the Spanish Civil War, many of my fellow comrades are still walking around with Obama buttons stuck to their fulsome
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Thursdays championship football game between No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Oklahoma is obviously a big game, but big enough to shut down Congress?Rep. Cliff Stearns hopes so.Stearns, a Republican from Ocala, wrote to U.S. House Speaker
Back in 2004, which, I suppose, translates into two generations ago in Internet time, I started criticizing liberals who kept discussing the blood-drenched occupation of Iraq in terms of incompetence. Sure, they were right that the Cheney-Bush-Rumsfeld troika had displayed
After todays meeting at the White House: ...its time for a two-part caption contest: What is Bush saying, and what is Obama thinking? (Or whatever else youd like to talk about.)
After enough ring-kissing on the part of Obama and Biden, Feinstein says Panetta will be just fine. Emerging from a policy luncheon this afternoon, Senator Dianne Feinstein disclosed that she had spoken with Leon Panetta last night, after raising objections
The Star-Trib sees a problem for Franken: Democratic leaders made Burris claim on the seat contingent on his ability to secure a formal election certificate from the state of Illinois, a document Franken will not have until Norm Colemans election
Calling it an extraordinary gathering, President-elect Obama sat down for lunch with George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter earlier today. Said Obama: All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office,
As the Republicans fight over whether they should take back America by being super conservative or supery dupery conservative. its nice that they settled on one thing. Its safe to hate Hillary again. Lacking a coherent strategy for explaining and
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a retired astronaut and former Marine is on the short list to replace Michael Griffin as Director of NASA: A former astronaut who has made four trips into space is reportedly a leading candidate
I wish I could figure out a way to mock this better than it mocks itself: TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporters notebook. The Ohio man who became a
Funny: The candidates for Republican National Committee chair have been talking about how to effectively campaign in the era of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. But it looks like theyre having problems with technology that first became widespread back when Eisenhower
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Employee Free Choice Act has been when we can expect Congress to act on the bill. In recent weeks, there has been a current of reporting, particularly in right-leaning media, suggesting that Free Choice
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, 12-30-08: White vowed not to authorize Burris appointment by Blagojevich, but tried to take the focus off Burris. The secretary of states role is to forward the appointment to the Senate. Although I have
Public Policy Polling. 1/3-4. Registered voters. MoE 3.7% (No trend lines) Andrew Cuomo (D) 48 Peter King (R) 29 Caroline Kennedy (D) 46 Peter King (R) 44 This comes hard on the heels of PPPs previous release, which showed head-to-head
Kagro X over at Congress Matters looks at what would happen if the Republicans successfully held up the organizing resolutions for the 111th Congress--the rules for the 110th would hold. And the downside would be that Democrats wouldnt get seated
(From the diaries. Add any information you can, people, so we can get a grip on the problem. SusanG) Let me state right off the bat that Im not a techie, so I dont know how much I can contribute
Heres a gem from Norm Colemans challenge of Al Frankens victory: On Election Day, election judges in several precincts failed to initial the backs of Ballots under their control as required by Minnesota law and failed to prevent the deposit
The jokes on Harry Reid. Again. AP: WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats plan to accept Roland Burris for President-elect Barack Obamas vacant seat. Egg shortage declared in the Metropolitan Washington area. The entire current market supply is on Harry Reids
If you caught the opening session of the 111th Congress yesterday, you saw the House work through its ritual biennial reconstitution, including the adoption of a new set of standing rules. Because every Member of the House is reelected every
Now that Jeb Bush has withdrawn himself from consideration in Floridas 2010 Senate race, Politico reports that the GOP has a real problem on their hands. By declining a chance to run for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Mel
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader: House meets at... 10:00 a.m.: Legislative Business Fifteen One Minutes Per Side Last Vote Predicted... 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Suspensions (3 bills) 1) H.R. 35 - Presidential
From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE... Quit Whining, Its Just Your Money Newsweeks Larry Kaplow visited the newly-opened U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Sounds like a weekend at Club Med: Im a mere layman when it comes to architecture, but the
The Centers for Disease Control released a new report today that found that Mississippi “now has the nation’s highest teen pregnancy rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title.” The report found that in 2006, the Mississippi teen
In an effort to save money, freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) is planning to live in his Capitol Hill office, rather than rent an apartment in Washington, DC. “I’m trying to live the example that it doesn’t take big dollars
In an interview with CBS Radio today, Vice President Cheney claimed that he never “exceeded” his role as Vice President over the past eight years. It’s an “urban legend,” he insisted: Nearing the end of eight years as Vice President,
After disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to the Senate, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) became Burris’ most vocal defender. He likened Senate Democratic leaders, who said they would not seat a Blagojevich appointment, to George Wallace and Bull
Over the past few years, the U.S. Army War College has attracted considerable attention for its willingness to criticize the Bush administration’s foreign policy, publishing a paper in 2004 that concluded the global war on terrorism was “unfocused” and war
The Army was forced to apologize today after sending approximately 7,000 letters to family members of soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan which mistakenly addressed them as “John Doe.” The letters were sent late last month to inform survivors about
When President Bush announced his economic stimulus in January 2008, he bragged that his package was the “right size” and would “boost” the economy:I am pleased that this agreement meets the criterion that I set forth last week to provide
Today, in a reversal from his previous position, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) opened the door to seating Roland Burris as the successor to President-elect Obama’s Senate seat. At the end of his press conference, Reid said that Burris’s
After complaining that she was not informed in advance about Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) now says she’ll support the nomination. Feinstein previously said that she wanted “an intelligence professional in
In November 2007, when then-Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) announced his retirement from Congress, it was believed that Lott resigned at that time in order to “immunize” himself against a new lobbying law that requires Senators to wait two-years instead of
When President-elect Obama nominated Eric Holder to be Attorney General, Karl Rove called him the “one controversial nominee,” and urged conservatives to “examine” him. Chris Matthews reported that Rove “is going to be helping lead the fight against Eric Holder,”
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber,” is taking on a new job as a war correspondent. He is heading to Israel to cover the war for the conservative site PJTV.com. Wurzelbacher said his 10-day journey will help explain why
Reuters reports that “Bollywood is ready with a farewell present” for President Bush, releasing a “film that takes pot shots at the outgoing U.S. president.” The movie, called “The President is Coming,” tells the story of six Indians vying for
In August, Congressional Republicans staged a series of political stunts on the floor of the House of Representatives to express their displeasure with the House Democrats going into summer recess “without voting on whether to end the 26-year ban on
President Bush has repeatedly said that he plans to “sprint to the finish,” remaining active and engaged until the very last day of his presidency. However, it appears that he may be beginning to check out early. In yesterday’s press
In December, President-elect Obama asked the White House if he and his family could move into Blair House — the White House’s guest house — a week early, so that his daughters Malia and Sasha could start school. The White
Just as Israel is indicating it conditionally welcomes an Egyptian-French cease-fire proposal, Democrats in Congress are “scrambling to push out” a “non-binding resolution supporting Israel’s goal” in the Gaza military operations:U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the U.S. House of Representatives
A government spokesman said today that Israel “welcomes” a proposal from France and Egypt to end the fighting in Gaza that has gone on for 12 days. The precise details of the proposal are currently unknown. Earlier this morning, Israel
Yesterday the Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes reported that during a private meeting with President Bush last Friday, Bush cited his failed push to privatize Social Security as his biggest domestic policy achievement. However, yesterday in an interview with conservative columnist
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) suggested that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) should appoint former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D) to Barack Obama’s open seat instead of Roland Burris:“She’s non-controversial, she has been here, she’s an African-American, she clearly has not
In the midst of a liveblogging session on the conflict in Gaza, the Muqata raised the alarm about a possible fauxtograph: The Muqata: Day 12 of the War, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.The photo he points out was filed by AP
The “Best Middle East or Africa Blog” category in the 2008 Weblog Awards is currently being dominated by execrable terror apologist professor Juan Cole (“Informed Comment”), after he posted a whiny conspiratorial rant about “neocons” (his favorite demon, aka “Jews”)
Last Friday on Hamas TV, Gaza’s children learned that the IDF had killed Assud, the giant Jew-eating rabbit.Very sad, but at least the bunny didn’t have to undergo amputation.
A heartfelt and insightful post on the Gaza UN school incident, at A Soldier’s Mother: The Images they Show...This is the point none of the media will make:Yesterday, mortars were fired FROM the school In Jebalya. This was a direct
LGF reader ciaospirit has video clips from the pro-Hamas, pro-genocide demonstration in Columbus, Ohio, featuring an Ohio State professor who refuses to condemn Hamas, at hourglass1941.Here’s an astoundingly moronic representative of the Middle East Peace Forum, who says Hamas is
Leading Hamas terrorist Mousa Abu Marzook, deported from the United States in 1997, gets back into the US via a column in the Los Angeles Times: Hamas speaks.Vile. Evil. Disgusting. Foul. Take your pick. There is something deeply wrong with
Interesting video reports from the US and Israel at Pajamas TV’s Gaza Updates, featuring Caroline Glick, Allison Kaplan Sommer, Richard Landes, and other names you may recognize.
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Registration is open for a limited time.Read all the rules before you register.Commit them to memory.Don’t register with a proxy.Don’t register with a throwaway email address.Don’t register more than one account at a time.Don’t be a jerk.Don’t be a troll.Do
Report: Hamas stealing aid supplies to sell to residents.A number of reports from the Strip paint a picture of very difficult humanitarian conditions, not least because of Hamas itself. The suspicion is that the group’s operatives have seized control of
France’s public TV station France 2 (perpetrator of the Mohammed Al-Dura hoax) was taken in by that footage from an accidental explosion of a truck full of rockets at a Hamas rally, and yesterday they retracted their report and apologized:
Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor in Gaza, is all over the mainstream media, claiming that Israel is indiscriminately and purposely murdering civilians. He’s given interviews to the BBC, CBS, CNN, ABC, the Independent, Sky News, and the New York Times.And
Biologists have discovered that a rare pink iguana found only on a single volcano in the Galapagos Islands is a surprising example of ancient evolutionary diversification—and Charles Darwin never even saw it.Charles Darwin visited
The conflict in Gaza has really stirred up the wackos, and they’re pouring their fury into illiterate emails sent to little old me. Here are the latest two messages sent through our contact form by Hamas supporters and Jew-haters; first,
As the world screams about the UN school incident in Gaza, here’s a reminder of what goes on at these places: EXCLUSIVE-Gaza headmaster was Islamic Jihad ‘rocket-maker’.RAFAH, Gaza Strip, May 5 (Reuters) - By day, Awad al-Qiq was a respected
The UN and the mainstream media are wailing and accusing Israel of war crimes (yes, again) after the IDF returned fire at a UN school from which Palestinians were firing mortars.The explosives and booby traps installed in the school by
Steve Emerson asks: Why Does The New York Times Love Hamas?In the past week, the Fourth Estate’s Hamas cheerleaders have stripped away any pretense of being honest or neutral, with the New York Times continuing to take the side of
Yeah, I know, but I have to, I really do. Matt Drudge falsely accused NBC of banning Coultergeist from their network because they cancelled a spot over a Tony Blair appearance.Drudge has put forth
January 07, 2009 BBC WorldIronic, considering that Israels restrictions on food and supplies were a major factor in why Hamas was shooting in the first place:GAZA — Under international pressure to ease its 12-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Israel
Crooks & Liars is really proud of all the progressive candidates we got behind in 2008 and were excited about the winners who are starting work in Washington this week-- as well as our
Winning over Republican votes at the beginning of Obamas presidency should never be a priority if it forces him to compromise because Obama will be blamed for the failure.Krugman on the stimulus package:And that gets us to politics. This really
Watergate Summer: Bushs Blair House debacle. Just one more lie Esquire: Rewriting history, warmongering, dragging around piglets -- and Obama hasnt even been seated yet. Just how far will absolutists go in the battle against the stimulus package Newshoggers: War
It takes me about two hours to get through when I have to file my claim in NJ. It seems to be this bad everywhere:New Mexicos unemployment claims operation isnt the only state entity having difficulties reacting to the growing
For those of you who had hoped his fifteen minutes of fame were fourteen minutes too long and that Joe the Plumber would fade back into obscurity, Im afraid that Joe had different plans. Think Progress got one of the
Chuck Todd seems to think that torture is A-OK and not something that is fundamentally disgusting, and opposing it just a crazy left-wing position.Digby explains:Did Chuck Todd recently attend a Mark Halperin seminar on how to be an insufferably obtuse
Download | Play Download | PlayYou TubeKeith Olbermann talks to Margaret Carlson about the snub of President-elect Obama by the Bush administration with their request to stay
This, of course, is welcome news for the beleagured Palestinians:PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday Israel and the Palestinian Authority had accepted a truce plan for Gaza announced by Egypt on Tuesday.The president is delighted by
My favorite John Lithgow role, Lord John Worfin from Buckaroo Banzai, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Gawd Im old. Thanks for voting for Crooks and Liars, Driftglass, and Suburban Guerrilla (Susie Madrak) at the Weblog Awards. (links
(h/t Howie for letting us know) From The Detroit Free Press:Ron Asheton, the influential guitarist for legendary punk band the Stooges, was found dead early this morning at his home in Ann Arbor, police said.I feel like I was punched
Sanjay Gupta vs. Michael Moore on the national health care system on Larry King Live, July 2007WSJ Health Blog:The Washington Post is reporting that Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Sanjay Gupta. He’s expected to accept
Not another Bush.Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will not run for the open Senate seat of Sen. Mel Martinez, he announced in a statement released moments ago. After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States
The explosions marked the second time in hours a U.N. school came under attack.The Israeli Defense Force has shelled a UN school in the Gaza strip, killing 30 and injuring 55. Israel claims that Hamas militants were using the school
embedSWF(9, 0, 0, widget, recent); This content requires the most recent version of the Adobe Flash Player. Get this version below:Get FlashAOL used my post called... Barack Obama highlights quick action and Oversight for his new stimulus package ...for the
From the American Life League: Bill Maher, Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel, Pelosi, Planned Parenthood, and Barack Obama make the list. Read the rest »
WEDNESDAYS MINI-REPORT.... Todays edition of quick hits: * Another rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling 245 points, the other major indexes down about 3% each. * There was a brief break to the violence in Gaza earlier,...
FEINSTEIN COMES AROUND.... If all of Barack Obamas intra-party squabbles can be resolved this quickly, hell be in very good shape. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday she intends to support President-elect...
INSERT INAPPROPRIATE PUN HERE.... Critics of the very idea of industry bailouts have argued in recent months that Congress shouldnt get in the business of picking and choosing -- if you bail out one failing industry, others will expect similar...
JOE THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.... Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber) hasnt had too much to do since the election, and its not as if hes been missed. He popped up about a month ago to bash John McCain. Now, it...
MCCAINS NEW ORGANIZATION.... For all of the systemic and institutional problems facing the right, a lack of organizations isnt one of them. Its hard to keep track of them all, between the conservative think tanks, activist groups, religious right outfits,...
SMITH PONDERS COULTER AND THE PUBLIC GOOD.... Yesterday, Harry Smith, anchor or CBSs The Early Show, chatted with Ann Coulter about her latest book. Predictably, Coulter lashed out wildly at all the various people she hates; Smith tried to press...
END GAME.... After this mornings developments, we can probably guess how the Roland Burris mess is going to turn out. Democratic leaders are not going to seat Roland Burris immediately, but are waiting for the outcome of pending court cases...
WEDNESDAYS CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Todays installment of campaign-related news items that wouldnt generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * Taking a far different position than Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, the new...
BURRIS FATE.... The AP and NPR are reporting the same thing: Senate Democrats plan to accept Roland Burris for President-elect Barack Obamas vacant seat. The move, if the reports are accurate, comes just one day after Senate leaders rejected Burris...
THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT.... With several years having passed since their terms in office, the living former presidents apparently look pretty good to most Americans. Sixty percent of Americans questioned in a CNN-Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday morning say...
CASTING DOUBT.... Several high-profile, far-right voices have stumbled upon a new hobby: convincing as many people as possible that Al Frankens success in Minnesota is illegitimate. Joe Scarborough and Ann Coulter are repeating all kinds of nonsense, and the editorial...
SPECTERS TIRED ROUTINE.... Apropos of nothing, Arlen Specter just wants everyone to know that he really doesnt like the idea of Eric Holder becoming the next attorney general. A leading Republican senator issued a broad attack on Tuesday on President-elect...
LINING UP PANETTA SUPPORT.... Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller were quick out of the gate on Monday with negative reactions to Leon Panetta becoming the next head of the CIA. If, however, they hoped to encourage others to join...
FEINSTEIN GOES ROGUE.... Just a few weeks ago, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined her colleagues in urging Rod Blagojevich not to fill Illinois vacant Senate seat, warning him that his appointment would not be seated. Yesterday, she changed her mind,...
TUESDAYS MINI-REPORT.... Todays edition of quick hits: * In a change, the Bush administration now supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The AP added, however, that U.S. officials quickly stressed they would not budge from their stance that it must...
SURGEON GENERAL GUPTA?.... I should concede at the outset that I dont watch CNN often, but Ive caught Dr. Sanjay Gupta on occasion, and he strikes me as quite capable in discussing medical issues. With that in mind, Barack Obama...
JEB ISNT RUNNING IN FLORIDA.... After gearing up for a likely Senate campaign in 2010, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) announced this afternoon that hes not running. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will not run for the open Senate...
BARNES BELIEVES BUSH.... Few conservative writers/activists have been as consistent in their sycophancy for George W. Bush as the Weekly Standards Fred Barnes. It makes sense, then, that the president would reward the Republican pundit with a private luncheon (with...
RATIONALE FOR REPUBLICAN OUTREACH.... We talked earlier about Barack Obama engaging congressional Republican leaders on how to shape an economic rescue package. Does Obama knows what hes doing, reaching out in good faith to opponents who dont believe in working...
PLAYING PANETTA POLITICS.... Leon Panettas leaked introduction as the next head of the CIA has drawn some complaints from key corners, but the transition office is apparently not too worried about the nomination. I think hes going to be fine,...
JIM GIBBONS DIVORCE INSANITY: Americas worst governor and alcoholic adulterous sex-assaulter crook Jim Gibbons and his power-crazed wife Dawn are finally getting the divorce everybody always knew...
The great George W. Bush delivered the commencement address at Colorados Air Force Academy today, the same day that his former hobbit slave was publicizing mean books about him. Here he is this...
Ooh looky its another Kustomized Kampaign Trinket for you, the reader! For just $250, you can show the world that YOUR NAME totally supports JOHN MCCAIN. But are there any names or phrases that...
We usually dont like to encourage the comedy YouTube jokes because none of them are funny, or its something you can watch on the TeeVee, later, on your sofa or whatever, eating your carry out....
SEE WHAT EVERYONES SAYING ABOUT SCOTT MCCLELLANS NEW #1 BOOK, GEORGE BUSH JR. MADE VAGUE ERRORS!I would think if he harbored such deep feelings about things he wouldnt have and shouldnt have...
Hello Peoples! Remember that whole thing about your Wonkette getting a new home, and all that? Well, it is still true — and tonight, Wonkette will suffer the miracle of transmigration. What...
BARRY OBAMAS RACIST POETRY: Under water grottos, caverns/ Filled with apes/ That eat figs./ Stepping on the figs/ That the apes/ Eat, they crunch./ The apes howl, bare/ Their fangs, dance,/ Tumble...
Ever since John McCain pissed all over Mitt Romney in a debate, and even before then, Mormons havent taken kindly to the foul-mouthed, unhandsome, twice-married atheist grumpus. So its no surprise...
Wonkette comical typos operative Ron sends us this screen shot of a CNN.com article in which Karl Rove lets slip a revelation of his own about terrible snitch Scott McClellan. McClellans syntax in...
Hillary Clinton continued the Enfranchisement Tour 2k8 today in South Dakota, which is fully franchised and will likely go for Obama on June 3 but doesnt matter. While there she visited the only...
Remember when those nuts on the right, Michelle Malkin and Charles Johnson, condemned beloved fast food bakery Dunkin Donuts for letting teevee chef Rachael Ray wear a Palestinian scarf in this ad?...
The White House has issued a Papal Bull in response to former press secretary Scott McClellans new book, in which he makes bland accusations about the Bush administration like they may not have...
Way back in the early 1990s, America learned the hard way that strange e-mails from people with AOL e-mail addresses like krazi hott lucey are not hott even if they are krazi. In other words,...
John McCain is doing his best to romance The Hollywoods, but he has found few wealthy gay liberals willing to listen to his uplifting message of war without end. As a result, he has only been able to...
Heres Barry Obamas latest pitch to the Puerto Ricans, which he delivers in their native language. He seems to be mentioning, once again, that he was born on an island too. And then he says that...
Things havent gotten much better since we last checked in on Kwame Kilpatrick, the comical mayor of Detroit and a leading contender for Barack Obamas black vice presidency. You may recall that his...
Hey people, if you are in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, you might stop by Studio 13 Creative Skin Design and ask Ryan Hadley for one of these sweet Barack Obama tattoos. Now GO GO GO, FIND US PHOTOS...
Remember Barry Nolan, the cable news guy who courageously took a stand against some backwater TV organization giving Bill OReilly a prize for working once in the greater Boston metropolitan area?...
New regulations make it harder than ever to go bankrupt these days — but that hasnt stopped many hard-working Americans from rising to the challenge. A U.S. businessman says...
Scott McClellan, one of approximately 200 Bush Administration spokesmen since 2001, left the White House a few years ago. During his tenure, he lied about Iraq, Katrina, Terror, and whatever else was...
Over almost two years, Ive learned not to underestimate Barack Obama or assume reflexively that if hes not following my idea of the best way to proceed that he hasnt thought up a much better one I hadnt considered. But
So how exactly did Roland Burris walk so easily over that line Sen. Reid drew in the sand? We explain what happened in todays episode of TPMtv ... Full-size video at TPMtv.com.
Headline of article from the Journal: Republicans See Template for Rebound in Election of Puerto Ricos FortunoRepublicans focus on recovering after sharp blows in the past two elections has put a spotlight on an unlikely star: Puerto Ricos new governor,
Theres been a lot of griping recently from the Right about how there are no web-native news outlets on the right, or that they arent seen as having a lot of credibility or that the people who write for them
Apparently the RNC just booted CSpan out of todays informal discussion/debate with the candidates vying to be elected party chair.Perhaps theyre going to twitter it?
This is in the background. But its important. As we told you last week, the Fed has initiated a program to purchase half a trillion dollars worth of mortgage debt that is purportedly clogging up the credit markets. This is
The upshot of the meeting between Roland Burris and Sens. Reid and Durbin seems to be that Harry Reid finds Burris to be a nice man. Talking it over here and seems like Reid is walking this back from the
In his press conference just now, Barack Obama softened his approach on seating Roland Burris:That is a Senate matter. But I know Roland Burris, obviously hes from my home state. I think hes a fine public servant. If he gets
Apparently Harry Reid and Senate Dems are going to concede Obamas seat to the Blago/Burris dynamic duo.My new years resolution for Reid and crew: calcium supplements to stiffen the spine!Late Update: Reid and Durbin are holding presser at 11 ET.
The Obama-bashing former Aussie PM John Howard is the mystery guest preventing the Obamas from occupying the Blair House. That and the days other political news in the TPM Election Central Morning Roundup.
Here Fred Kaplan makes the case for the appointment in Slate. Elana Schor got an impromptu interview with Sen. Feinstein who seemed to soften her initial coolness toward the appointment and suggested she might be more receptive if Obama kept
...on Al Jazeera English. He speaks to Al Jazeeras Shihab Rattansi about the Israeli offensive in Gaza and why he feels so few US politicians understand the Middle East.Ellison represents Minnesotas Fifth District in Congress. I wrote about him here
Last night, in discussing the selection of Elena Kagan for Solicitor General, I noted the goodwill she has created for herself among conservatives by, among things, hiring conservative faculty at Harvard Law School. Ed Whelan agrees that Kagan has earned
The media coverage of the events related to Minnesotas Senate election and subsequent recount has been so poor that it is difficult to determine what happened. The erosion of Senator Colemans approximately 700 vote lead over Al Franken on November
Yesterday we received the following statement from Israeli embassy spokesman Jonathan Peled: Initial inquiries by Israeli forces operating in the area indicate that a number of mortar shells were fired at IDF forces from within the Jabalya school. Israeli forces
Barack Obama made four key nominations for senior Justice Department posts yesterday. They are Elena Kagan (Solicitor General), David Ogden (Deputy Attorney General), Thomas Perrelli (head of the Civil Division), and Dawn Johnsen (Head of the Office of Legal Counsel).
Quin Hillyer proposes that, in the spirit of bipartisanship, Barack Obama renominate Peter Keisler, the former acting Attorney General, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Keisler was an outstanding nominee, praised by the
As John notes below, Senate Democrats blocked Roland Burris from taking his seat in the Senate today. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich duly appointed Burris to fill Barack Obamas seat. This is Blagojevichs prerogative as governor, and its difficult to perceive
The battle over Rod Blagojevichs appointment of Roland Burris to fill Barack Obamas unexpired Senate term is one that we Republicans can only sit back and enjoy. This morning, Burris showed up at the Capitol but was blocked from taking
Public television network France 2 has admitted that earlier today, it showed photos of dozens of bodies of members of Hamas and civilians who it said were killed in an Israeli bombing raid on January 1. Only problem: the photos
A ULEB Eurocup Group D basketball game between Israels Bnei Hasharon and Turkeys Turk Telekom in Ankara was suspended today when Turkish fans began chanting Israel, killers!A referee suspended the game and
Ill be on the Dennis Prager show this morning at 9:20 Pacific time, 11:20 central, to talk about the Minnesota Senate recount. If youre in the Hartford, Connecticut area, Ill also be on Jim Vicevichs excellent show on WTIC at
The Jerusalem Post reports that Hamas has opened a hospital for terrorists:Hamas has set up an independent hospital in the Gaza Strip to treat its operatives wounded in fighting with the IDF - and, according to Israeli estimates, it is
In MInnesota Senate Recount, Update XVI, John Hinderaker presents a lucid exposition of the issues still at play in Al Frankens 225-vote victory over Norm Coleman in Minnesotas Senate election. First came the canvas, won by Senator Coleman. Then came
Big Hollywood is the brainstorm of Andrew Breitbart. It is a group blog that is intended to provide a forum for heterodox voices talking about popular culture and encouragement to conservatives working in the Hollywood vineyards. Andrew explains the purpose
The Washington Post, in a story by Sudarsan Raghavan, reports as follows on international protests against Israels military operation in Gaza:From Paris to Poland, tens of thousands of protesters called for an end to the Israeli offensive. In the Muslim
My first reaction to Barack Obamas selection of Leon Panetta as CIA director was puzzlement. After all, Panetta has no real background in intelligence gathering or analysis. But on reflection, Obamas decision may make sense on the merits. The CIAs
I have nothing in particular against Leon Panetta, who seems to be a classic Clintonite pragmatist. That said, he has no evident qualification to be CIA Director other than general administrative ability. So why has Barack Obama nominated him for
Earlier today, Minnesotas Canvassing Board certified the results of the Senate recount, with former comedian Al Franken holding a 225-vote lead. The Coleman campaign immediately announced that it will file an election contest tomorrow.The status of the recount has been
As John noted yesterday, Bill Richardson has withdrawn as Barack Obamas nominee for Commerce Secretary. But unlike the (then) Kansas City Athletics, at least Obama selected Richardson for his team.
My understanding is that auto loans were once a major product for credit unions, until the automakers muscled them out with their own financing arms.NEW YORK (AP) -- Automakers General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, along with a group of
Really impossible to parody.TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporters notebook.The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a
As I said before, I dont really care what Ann Coulter says, but I have no idea why mainstream news organizations have such contempt for their viewers, themselves, and any concept of factual journalism.
As Jane predicted, AP/NPR are reporting that Burris is going to be seated after all. Good thing we had all that Politico-loving drama for, you know, no reason at all. Unlike Josh I was actually losing a little sleep over
Not really, but every month the ADP report, a private estimate of what the govt report will tell us on Friday, comes out a couple of days beforehand. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private-sector employers shed 693,000 jobs in December, a
Of course. NEW YORK (AP) -- A construction official falsely billed $1.2 million for supplies not delivered to clean up a toxic ground zero skyscraper in exchange for cash, clothes and trips to the Caribbean, prosecutors said Tuesday.Robert Chiarappa was
Not exactly shiny happy people.As Federal Reserve officials met last month to confront the deepening recession, they worried that even a dramatic cut in interest rates and unprecedented new measures in monetary policy would not be enough to cauterize the
Apples iTunes DRM was so easy to break it was basically just a minor nuisance, but still it was a pointless minor nuisance which did nothing to prevent any music piracy. Glad the record companies may have finally figured that
Anyway, a big reason why travel is a pain isnt because it makes it harder for my to deliver my words of wisdom to my adoring readers, its because during the middle of the day Im hitting 90+ emails per
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has convened approximately 70 researchers such as ex-Klansman David Duke to discuss their doubts about the extent of the Holocaust,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the American people. Here is your chance to respond.MRB:Dear President Ahmadinejad and Noble Iranians,Thank you for
Even before the election results were final, Republicans began voicing their outrage at the possibility that Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., might become Chairman of
President Bush has mainly been talking about economic and diplomatic isolation, however, the administration is also leaving open the option of military action. The
With the midterm elections behind us now, which candidates are best positioned for a Presidential run in 2008, and whose Presidential aspirations may have
Apple Inc has agreed to start selling digital songs from its iTunes store without copy protection software. - BBCIve always been divided about sharing music with friends. I get the intellectual and legal arguments about the music belonging to the
Here we go again. And note the way Republicans handle such disputes, as opposed to Democrats. Democrats concede in the interest of the nation. Republican sue in an effort to steal the election. When we will ever learn.
This is a pretty big development. Once Floridas Senator Mel Martinez announced he was retiring, it was the prevailing conventional wisdom that Jeb would jump in. I figured Martinez was retiring to open up the seat for Jeb. Even George
Joe is off dealing with a very nasty cold that has been going around, but he asked me to post about this. He says this is big. The article in the The Hill doesnt really explain what the rule changes
UPDATE: Biden says it was a mistake not telling Feinstein about the Panetta pick. But that really doesnt explain anything. Everyone in politics knows that you give a heads up to the chairs of the committees of jurisdiction, at least
This is great. But it would be nice had they turned Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and every other crook away as well. At some point, Democrats need to show the same testicular fortitude in standing up against Republicans as they do
Another update about the $300bn tax cuts. Apparently, businesses that have shown a loss in the past five years will get a huge new benefit as part of the plan. This is likely part of an effort to woo the
This is important news, for a number of reasons.First, a word about Difi, Rockefeller and Panetta.1. Difi drives us nuts, and anyone who reads the blog knows it. Shes the Dem were always having to beat up in order to
Good morning.Two weeks. Two weeks til the Bush/Cheney reign is over. Wow. Sometimes, it seemed like it would never end.The new Congress convenes today. Expect some drama over Roland Burris. And, how long before Al Franken, who was elected by
Krugman points out that CNNs Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the man Obama is considering for Surgeon General, conducted an on-the-air mugging of Michael Moore that turned out to be absolutely false.From Krugman: I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But
This latest suicide related to the credit crisis reminded me of the general belief that in 1929, many stockbrokers jumped out of windows as they heard about their loses. As an econ professor friend recently told me, Galbraith had analyzed
Reuters:Dire economic data underlined the severity of recession in Europe on Tuesday, while Toyota Motor Corp said it would halt all production in Japan in response to plunging demand.With the global downturn hitting automakers particularly hard, Toyota, the worlds biggest,
From Tom Geoghegan, over at DailyKos:I’m running for Congress in the Fifth District of Illinois. As a Chicago lawyer for thirty years, I have fought for working people in the Fifth District and throughout the city. I have represented unions
An Obama transition team insider tells a Texas newspaper that Xavier Becerra being Latino is one of his qualifications for being the leading candidate to replace Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary nominee. (Politico, FYI, is saying that Becerra wont take
From CNN:Chief CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been approached by the Obama administration about the U.S. surgeon generals post, according to sources inside the transition and at CNN.The transition team is impressed with the combination of Guptas past
Though this shouldnt surprise anyone. Ive found that far-right bigots have a rather difficult time with the commandment concerning bearing false witness. Well, in an effort to keep the controversy over Obamas selection of an anti-gay bigot to give the
NBCs First Read did a Then and Now comparison of ten areas to see how things have fared after eight years of Bush and Cheney. Not good, as you can imagine (especially for Bush and Cheney themselves.) Try these three
The Fed has consistently understated the economic crisis, always reaching for some small ray or sunshine so this new forecast surprising, though maybe more realistic than previous statements and forecasts.The U.S. economy is likely to deteriorate further this year and
Sorry to ruffle Roses feathers with my reference to MIlorganite, which keeps the deer away from my shrubs. Perhaps the deer have been reading her posts. But I am glad were finally getting into some big numbers, like $200 million.
A letter from Gaza. I removed only personal references. Im writing you for the latest update from my small home in Gaza, today we are hosting 6 families from different locations in Gaza; 14 of them are DELETED family, my
There is not only no justification for Israel barring press from Gaza, but even Israels reasoning is seriously flawed. For, as this Israeli analyst writes in ynet, Israels popular website, when the floodgates of hell open, the stories wont stop.This
Fred touts the sludge compost, Milorganite as the best deer repelling fertilizer on the market. I have heard the same statement from Al Rubin, EPAs former sludge czar, who usually does not support his views with any published
Most of the current discussion regarding the Obama Economic Plan focuses on whether the fiscal stimulus should be somewhat larger or smaller ($650-800bn seems the current range) and the composition between spending and tax cuts. President Obama stressed on Tuesday
As an expert on the risks associated with the land application of Americas sewage sludge, I was impressed with Roses Biosolids chapter. I wish the chapter had been longer and had emphasized how federal and state regulatory agencies
Good afternoon. Thanks to Carl and Fred for their posts. I agree with both of you. Freds right that my intro telescoped human attitudes to their shit (Ill address the issue of why I dont like to say
It starts with what we replace plant nutrients with in agriculture! Instead of using chemical fertilizers that only effectively replaces the main building blocks of organic matter -- N,P and K -- human and animal fertilizer replaces the
First of all, Id like to say what an honor it is to be included among this august group. I have worked hard all my life to be considered an expert on human waste, so consider my participation
Like everybody else, I think Jon Stewart is terrific. I also think he is brave. But I did not think he was this brave. I know there are those who will say whats brave about it. Hes rich and famous.
Thats the question that the Obama team should be asking as they court Republican support for a stimulus package. We would all like to get beyond the partisan rancor of the last 16 years, but there are real issues at
The economy is in big trouble. The same is true for economics.The Economic CrisisThe global financial crisis of fall 2008 was unexpected. A few people had been predicting that serious problems were looming, and even fewer had placed bets accordingly,
Ethan Bronner at the NYT online reports that Israel is shutting foreign correspondents out of Gaza altogether.Israel claims that its Gaza attacks are precisely targeted. War being war and human beings being human, thats unlikely to the vanishing point, but
Hello and happy new year. Its now no longer the International Year of Sanitation - or indeed the International Year of the Potato - so Im pleased that TPM Book Café still sees fit to keep talking, and
Author Rose George is joining us this week at TPMCafe for a book club a bit off the normally beaten Cafe path. Well be discussing her latest book, The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World Of Human Waste And Why It
Check this out on Politico. Just as I thought, the President-Elect was holding back so he could fully address the issue after Jan. 20. The loss of civilian life in Gaza and in Israel is a source of deep concern
Im a fan of Andrew Sullivan. I like him because hes brilliant, thoughtful, and because he paved the way for other openly gay men and women to play major roles in media. Without Sullivan, I doubt there would be a
Youd need a slightly robotic view of human beings to believe this, but lets say Hamas acts of terror, from suicide bombing to indiscriminate missile attacks, are the pure expression of a closed circle of jihadists, whose fanatic, intractable views
On day 10 of the Gaza crisis I would like to weigh in with some thoughts on (1) what needs to happen next and what a more rational, more thoughtful pro-Israel position might look like, (2) on this human tragedy
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