Stop me if you’ve heard this one … the administration is weighing “concepts” for a major reduction in troop levels in Iraq. The Bush administration is developing what are described as concepts for reducing American combat forces in Iraq by as much as half next year, according to senior administration officials in the midst of […]
First up from The God Machine this week is religion-related news for this Memorial Day weekend. The Creation Museum, a $27-million tourist attraction for those who don’t care for modern science, will open its doors on Monday near Cincinnati. The LA Times had an interesting editorial on the facility. [B]efore the first visitor risks succumbing […]
Guest Post by Morbo For many people, Memorial Day is a time to go to a picnic, hit the beach or just enjoy a day off work. That’s fine, but we should remember it’s also a day to stop and reflect on those who have died fighting our nation’s wars. For some, this might mean […]
Guest Post by Morbo The evangelical men’s group Promise Keepers was a big deal in the 1990s. Tens of thousands of men regularly gathered in football stadiums for rallies. In 1997, the group held a meeting on the National Mall called “Stand in the Gap.” It’s estimated that one million men attended. What is Promise […]
Guest Post by Morbo Right-wing talk radio gasbag Dr. Laura Schlessinger apparently didn’t do a very good job raising her son. Deryk Schlessinger, 21, is in the Army serving in Iraq; officials are investigating his Myspace page, which was full of “cartoon images of rape, murder, torture, child molestation, and more.” (Warning! This link contains […]
Guest Post by Morbo I’m no fan of Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, an alleged progressive who normally offers pretty weak tea, but I do think his column this week on Al Gore is on the money: Gore has no intention of running for president. Dionne interviewed Gore and wrote: It’s entertaining to talk to […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * In a beautiful instance of irony, a bipartisan bill expanding the Freedom of Information Act was cruising towards passing the Senate easily — right up until a GOP senator placed an anonymous hold on the legislation. “Some Republican senator called the Minority Leader’s office and objected to a vote […]
A couple of weeks ago, I urged congressional Dems to get their act together and pursue a meaningful lobbying reform measure. At the time, there were rumors that lawmakers, after campaigning specifically on helping clean up the system, were balking on a legislative remedy. As it turns out, the rumors appear to have been overstated. […]
There’s ample evidence that Fox News viewers tend to be surprisingly uninformed about current events. We’re starting to get a better sense as to why that is. What’s more important: Iraq or Anna Nicole Smith? Depends on which network you’re watching. According to PEJ’s first quarter News Coverage Index, “MSNBC and CNN were much more […]
A couple of weeks ago, after tornados razed most of Greensburg, Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) had the temerity to note that much of the state’s National Guard equipment is being used in Iraq, which in turn hampered the recovery effort. The White House hit back, rejecting the premise and blaming Sebelius. Who was right? […]