Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) had, for all intents and purposes, already been running a presidential race for months. He had 15 trained, funded campaign aides, and as of a week ago, visited New Hampshire seven times. When Bayh noted two weeks ago that he was poised to create an exploratory committee, his presidential campaign was […]
First up from the God machine this week is a controversial video that’s been making the rounds — and sparking complaints — of an evangelistic ministry in Washington, featuring several military officials, in uniform. As Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin can attest, that’s a real no-no. A military watchdog group is asking the Defense […]
Guest Post by Morbo In a previous post, I mentioned hearing Chilean exile Ariel Dorfman speak in 1985. During those remarks, which I still recall more than 20 years later, Dorfman pulled no punches as he excoriated Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and explained how a U.S.-backed coup brought this cruel dictator to power. Why did […]
Guest Post by Morbo Every day real scientists working in real laboratories undercut the claims made by proponents of “intelligent design” creationism. This recent New York Times article showcases a newly discovered example of evolution in humans. Creationists have no traction in the scientific arena, because what they are doing isn’t science. It’s theology. With […]
Guest Post by Morbo World-famous evangelist Billy Graham is 88 years old, nearly blind and mentally infirm. His family knows he will die soon, and his children face a dilemma so common to Americans with aging parents: Should we bury dad on property he always loved or make his grave the centerpiece of a bizarre […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * MSNBC mentioned my post about Tony Snow and “on the couch” on the air today — except the network referred to me as the “Carpetblogger.” Presumably, the audience assumed I have some kind of connection to carpets? * The definition of irony: “Border Fence Firm Snared for Hiring Illegal […]
Town hall meetings have been a staple of the American political process, so when Japan decided it was ready to try a bold experiment in grass-roots democracy, they embraced what they called “TM.” As Norimitsu Onishi explained, it was an exercise in which Japan’s political leaders “met and talked with voters more accustomed to a […]
In the run-up to the November midterm elections, the National Republican Congressional Committee launched a $2.1 million campaign to make it appear as if Democrats were spamming callers with telemarketing calls. The GOP’s “robo-call” operation harassed thousands of voters and represented the worst our political system has to offer. So, naturally, it’s being exported to […]
It’s been several years, and by now we all know the weapons-of-mass-destruction story pretty well. Except, once in a while, a new tidbit will come to light, such as this one. (via Ron Chusid) The Government’s case for going to war in Iraq has been torn apart by the publication of previously suppressed evidence that […]
Regardless of Barack Obama’s merits as a presidential candidate, I can’t help but notice that the right really wants to attack him, but hasn’t quite figured out how. There’s ample room for criticism of Obama and his likely presidential ambitions — his inexperience is obviously at the top of the list — but his limited […]