While a missile retaliation against Israel would be virtually certain, according to these assessments, Iran would also be likely to try to calibrate its response against American targets so as not to give the United States a rationale for taking military action that could permanently cripple Tehran’s nuclear program. “The Iranians have been pretty good [...]
Archive | February, 2012

Democracy Alliance decisions and ‘Do it again!’ games
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. Earlier today Taylor wrote about the Democracy Alliance decision that dropped certain progressive groups. It so happened that I’d focused on the same thing today. We do that occasionally. Maybe it’s a liberal thing. Anyway, check out Taylor’s piece. You can see the breaking story [...]
Rick Santorum, from J.F.K. to Political Extremism, Catholics Go For Mitt
What a bone-headed campaign Rick Santorum is running. When I looked at the CNN exit poll numbers it confirmed it. Romney won Catholics in Michigan 44% to Santorum’s 37%. Extremists highlight Santorum’s chances, with 60% of his supporters in Michigan believing abortion should “always be illegal.” All I have to do is look at my [...]
Democracy Alliance Ousts Progressive Shakers
It doesn’t get any more inside political baseball than this, but it’s a hard hit for movement progressives and activists, some of whom have been serious movers and shakers. Ryan Grimm reporting: The groups dropped by the Democracy Alliance tend to be those that work outside the party’s structure. Groups with closer ties to the [...]
Olympia Snowe Retirement Starts Rumor Mill Rolling
“Mitt Romney winning closely in his home state is like Charlie Sheen barely winning a primary in a Hooters.” – Paul Begala (via CBS “Morning Show”) The day of Mitt Romney’s Michigan squeaker, Olympia Snowe gives Republicans another huge headache. Here’s part of her statement that set off Jonathan Chait to wondering whether Ms. Snowe [...]

Santorum: ‘That’s What Bullies Do, When You Hit Them Back They Whine’
**updated below** CNN Projects Romney Wins Michigan The Dow hit 13,000 today. That’s not good for the Republicans, but listening to Ari Fleischer talk tonight on CNN about a “down economy” you’d never know it even happened. It’s not as bad as Alex Castellanos talking about sex being something people kind of like, so that’s [...]

“Occupy the Vote” and an OWS Super-PAC
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. This will probably dismay some, Occupiers and critics / observers alike. It will please others. Anonymous and some Occupy groups have joined forces to promote “Our Polls.” Most of the Occupy / 99% movement works outside the electoral system. But of course, it’s entirely possible [...]
Obama: ‘Looking Out For One Another, That’s A Value’
Video compliments of TPM.
Rick Santorum Regrets
“I wish I had that particular line back,” Santorum said Tuesday on Laura Ingraham’s radio show. – The Hill People who are ready and equipped for the national spotlight, but also understand America, not just their besotted base, know intuitively what things crossing their mind should not be uttered. Rick Santorum saying reading John F. [...]
Mitt Romney ‘Not willing to light my hair on fire’ for Support
Worst of all, there is no clear end in sight for what has become, in the eyes of many Republicans, a joyless and prolonged nomination fight. Even Romney victories in Michigan and Arizona, the two states voting Tuesday, have little chance of forcing his aggrieved opponents out of the race. With a vast personal fortune [...]

Michigan is All the Marbles for Mitt
Michigan Democratic strategist Joe DiSano has taken it upon himself to become a leading mischief maker. DiSano says he targeted nearly 50,000 Democratic voters in Michigan through email and a robo call to their homes, asking them to go to the polls Tuesday to vote for Rick Santorum in attempt to hurt Romney. – Democratic [...]
Pakistan’s ‘Saving Face’ Wins, Oscar Loses
“Tonight, enjoy yourselves, because nothing can take the sting out of the world’s economic problems like watching millionaires present each other with golden statues.” – Billy Crystal The problems with Oscar have nothing to do with the producers having to bring back Billy Crystal to do the impossible, try to rescue them from irrelevancy. It [...]

“The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine”
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. The headline is the title of a recently released book by Media Matters, written by David Brock (also MM founder) and Ari Rabin-Havt. FOX is not amused. Their responses are a good indication of much of the news “analysis” they provide. It’s important to understand [...]
TransCanada to Start Building Portion of Keystone XL
From The Hill: TransCanada Corp. said Monday it plans to begin building a major portion of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline despite the Obama administration’s decision to reject a key permit for the project. The company told the State Department in a letter Monday that it will begin construction of a section of the [...]

Latest Romney Truism: ‘I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners.’
Rick Santorum has a car with his name on it. Mitt Romney has great friends who are “team owners.” Perhaps that’s the tale of the GOP nomination at this point. But we do need to find a new term for gaffe, aka Michael Kinsleyism, when it comes to Mitt Romney. It’s reaching critical mass. Democrats [...]
Follow Taylor on Twitter
- RT @BuzzFeedBen: Friends, my story tonight on Michael http://t.co/dm3jC7UpD9 3 hours ago retweeted via BuzzFeedBen
- IRS Official: No White House Involvement in Tea Party Targeting http://t.co/KHtbGhkVB9 h/t Greg Sargent 3 hours ago
- Statement On Michael Hastings http://t.co/I0sFcddJhF via @buzzfeed Meditations to @BenSmith & everyone who knew & loved him. 8 hours ago
- I've been dying to see this new series & I just did... Showtime’s Ray Donovan Debut Episode Now! [Video] http://t.co/EZtGjYHUeD #RayDonovan 8 hours ago
- Queer Talk: Lemonade for Peace & Westboro’s Signs of Hate (Video) http://t.co/sBhsk6jLux 11 hours ago
TM Must Reads
IN AN amazing interview with the Guardian on Sunday titled, appropriately, “Michael Douglas on Liberace, Cannes, cancer and cunnilingus,” the movie star does the biggest public service message for HPV and sexually transmitted diseases that’s been done in a generation. The Internet exploded with shock at what was taken as a revelation. It’s like thinking giving head to a man infected with HIV won’t leave its mark, too, though that’s more commonly talked about.
But your individual circumstances and mine should not hide the fact that there is an ideal and optimal family arrangement whether we in our own lives can meet it. – Erick Erickson, in “The Truth May Hurt, But Is Not Mean” AFTER BEING blasted for his patriarchal grunt, Erick Erickson now gets very defensive. How can you tell?
Ms Garraway, 46, is fronting a campaign to encourage young women to think about fertility and giving birth much younger than “her generation”. As part of the campaign, Ms Garraway spent a day being transformed into a heavily pregnant 70 year-old by Adrian Rigby, a prosthetic make-up artist, to “shock and provoke debate about how old is too old to have a baby”. [UK Telegraph] LOOKING at relationships, I find it telling that casual writers on the subject give marriage advice that hinges on bringing back the feminine mystique years and suggesting marrying younger would solve the problems that only better and smarter choices can conquer.
“Having mom as primary bread winner is bad for kids and bad for marriage.” – Erick Erickson IT HAS become a conservative chant lately, the latest from Erick Erickson. “War on men” from Suzanne Venker, Megan McArdle saying women should marry younger, they’re all attempting to resurrect Freud’s biology is destiny.
THE 21st century world offers ways to tweak your appearance, or alter it altogether, with women finally able to combat directly the comparison that’s always been around. Men look distinguished as they age, while women look old, unattractive, or to use Rush Limbaugh’s favorite comment, who wants to look at a woman with wrinkles? The 2012 plastic surgery statistics are out and the American Society of Plastic Surgery tells the story.
The real question about Hillary is this: When people take a new look at her in the coming years, will they see the past or the future — Mrs. Clinton or Madam President? – Maureen Dowd IT’S A classic front page from Huffington Post, coupled with a post by Jason Linkins, which details what’s been going on.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy “Here’s what nobody is telling you: Find a husband on campus before you graduate. Yes, I went there.
“Norma Rae is a survivor and for the first time in her life she’s got a chance to become something more… a winner.” – Promo for “Norma Rae” CRITICS like Anne-Marie Slaughter, but especially Maureen I-Love-My-Pearls Dowd, and others [most of whom didn't read the book or do their homework] who are blaming Sheryl Sandberg for being a billionaire Ivy League graduate, while accusing her of letting corporations and government off the hook, are missing a major point.
Great sex doesn’t always just happen. Sometimes, it takes a little planning, especially if — like many Americans — you’ve been in a bit of a sex rut. Do some prep work by turning your bedroom into a love nest: Make the bed (with new, or at least clean, sheets), tidy up, light a candle or two, and queue up a sexy playlist on your iPod.
“You Don’t Own Me” PSA -Official from You Don't Own Me on Vimeo. WHO DOESN’T know the song “You Don’t Own Me,” sung by Leslie Gore? The movie First Wives Club helped to reignite the relevancy of the song.
“Last night I interviewed Jill Stein the presidential candidate for the Green Party on this show. And I confess right now, I should have asked her to just get out of the race.” – Jennifer Granholm, “The War Room” [Current TV] THE ARGUMENT Jennifer Granholm makes above is a tactic that no longer fits the times.
“With that drum magazine, he could have gotten off 50, 60 rounds, even if it was semiautomatic, within one minute,” Chief Oates said. [New York Times] IN THE GAPING MAW of our leadership vacuum stands Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates, whose resolve, vulnerability and humility inside the vortex of a man made hell revealed what nobody in Congress or either political party has shown in decades. Leadership without regard to anything but his own duty to the people, which included the cops in the eye of volcanic carnage.
*updated below* So much for keep calm and carry on, what Joe Scarborough proclaims to be his motto. It was the weirdest one-on-one back and forth with a high profile talking head imaginable. It makes high school look mature.
**UPDATED** Would we be any worse off with Stephen Colbert as president? I doubt it. Politifact has watched the video “(repeatedly!
Despite rising public concern about the federal budget deficit, Americans favor keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are rather than taking steps to reduce the budget deficit (by 60% vs. 32%). – Public Wants Changes in Entitlements, Not Changes in Benefits This is starting early, so it’s time to revisit the facts.
“If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off.” – Sect. Hillary Clinton Women can do it, too.
The interview with Obama by George Stephanopoulos wasn’t nearly as contentious as the interview with the Edwardses. No Republican talking points from Stephanopoulos yesterday, like when he accused Edwards of abandoning the troops with this beauty: “Do you think the Democrats should be saddled with the idea of completely cutting off funding for the troops?” Or this one: “You know, a lot of Democrats still in the Senate think that your position here is cynical political theater.





Recent Comments