Clipmarks | debbyski's 'politics' clips

Robin Williams Cracks Sarah Palin Phenomenon in 2 Minutes

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:16:19 GMT

clipped by: katsteevns
clipper's remarks: Video at source.

Robin Williams Cracks Sarah Palin Phenomenon in 2 Minutes Flat

On a clear day Robin Williams can see forever — or at least to Alaska, from which Sarah Palin's fiefdom crept souther and souther until going absolutely radioactive this week in St. Paul. Assessing the phenomenon last night on Letterman, Williams alluded to the hard questions in its wake; to wit, how does a mother of five find time to hunt caribou? And what exactly does set a "snow machine" champion like Todd Palin apart from lesser men? It's one of the comic's more inspired tangents of late, and one that reminded us how little the issues really matter when we can conceivably have a vice president who can play wineglasses like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. This politics thing gets easier for us every day. [CBS]

A Bushie biting the dust !

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:49:37 GMT

clipped by: jt3600
clipper's remarks: You may ask yourself how can these small countries do it ? Yet Bush still sits ! One reason, "THE PEOPLE" and looking at everyday news of the people (LinkTV/Mosaic) I notice that people from other countries are more involved in politics & what their Gov. does as oppose to the US where it's your favorite news station that cast the vote .

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Musharraf impeachment discussed

Leading members of Pakistan's governing coalition have been meeting to finalise a plan to impeach the country's president Pervez Musharraf.

They accuse him of misconduct and of violating the constitution, and have urged him to resign.

Ruling parties say he is incompetent and standing in the way of democracy. He has yet to respond. The US says it is an internal matter for Pakistan.

Low-Road Express

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:01:06 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "Many voters are wondering whether a McCain presidency would be an extension of Mr. Bush’s two disastrous terms. If the way Mr. McCain is running his campaign these days is an indication, Americans don’t have to wait until next January for the answer to that one."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Well, that certainly didn’t take long.

The candidate who started out talking about high-minded, civil debate has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook.

In recent weeks, Mr. McCain has been waving the flag of fear (Senator Barack Obama wants to “lose” in Iraq), and issuing attacks that are sophomoric (suggesting that Mr. Obama is a socialist) and false (the presumptive Democratic nominee turned his back on wounded soldiers).

Mr. McCain used to pride himself on being above this ugly brand of politics, which killed his own 2000 presidential bid.

Mr. Obama’s politics are hardly far-left, and anyone who has spent time in a socialist country knows how ridiculous that label is for any member of Congress. It would be bad enough if Mr. McCain honestly believed what he said, but we find that hard to imagine.

Lefts Are Smarter

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:15:08 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: mwcnews.net

Even in humdrum nonpolitical decisions, liberals and conservatives literally think differently, researchers show.

Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.

In a simple experiment reported todayin the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists at New York University and UCLA show that political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information.

Previous psychological studies have found that conservatives tend to be more structured and persistent in their judgments whereas liberals are more open to new experiences. The latest study found those traits are not confined to political situations but also influence everyday decisions.

Still, he acknowledged that a meeting of the minds between conservatives and liberals looked difficult given the study results.

Tags: ;)

Rove's Third Term

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:02:34 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Al Gore never claimed that he invented the Internet. Howard Dean didn’t scream. Hillary Clinton didn’t say she was staying in the race because Barack Obama might be assassinated. And Wesley Clark didn’t impugn John McCain’s military service.

Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary, titled his tell-all memoir “What Happened.” But a true account of modern American politics should be titled “What Didn’t Happen.” Again and again we’ve had media firestorms over supposedly revealing incidents that never actually took place.

Yet the Clark affair did reveal something important — not about General Clark, but about Mr. McCain. Now we know what a McCain administration would represent: namely, a third term for Karl Rove.

Will Rovian tactics work this year?

In 2002 and 2004, Republicans were so successful at playing the patriotism card thanks to a combination of compliant media and cowering Democrats.

Seeking A Broader Political Agenda

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:03:15 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "None of that means younger evangelicals have abandoned the core tenets of their faith, including a belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus and the literal truth of the Bible. They think abortion and homosexuality are sins."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The Journey, a megachurch of mostly younger evangelicals, is representative of a new generation that refuses to put politics at the center of its faith and rejects identification with the religious right.

They say they are tired of the culture wars. They say they do not want the test of their faith to be the fight against gay rights. They say they want to broaden the traditional evangelical anti-abortion agenda to include care for the poor, the environment, immigrants and people with H.I.V., according to experts on younger evangelicals and the young people themselves.

About 17 percent of the nation’s 55 million adult evangelicals are between the ages of 18 and 29, and many are troubled by the methods of the religious right and its close ties to the Republican Party.

My Forbidden Fruits (And Veggies)

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:00:18 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

IF you’ve stood in line at a farmers’ market recently, you know that the local food movement is thriving, to the point that small farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand.

But consumers who would like to be able to buy local fruits and vegetables not just at farmers’ markets, but also in the produce aisle of their supermarket, will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding. And the barriers that the United States Department of Agriculture has put in place will be extended when the farm bill that House and Senate negotiators are working on now goes into effect.

As I’ve looked into the politics behind those restrictions, I’ve come to understand that this is precisely the outcome that the program’s backers in California and Florida have in mind: they want to snuff out the local competition before it even gets started.

McCain: Forever Warrior for a Forerver War

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:09:14 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Sen. John McCain told a crowd of supporters on Sunday, "It's a tough war we're in. It's not going to be over right away. There's going to be other wars." Offering more of his increasingly bleak "straight talk," he repeated the claim: "I'm sorry to tell you, there's going to be other wars. We will never surrender but there will be other wars."

McCain did not elaborate who the United States would be fighting. But he did warn the crowd to be ready for the ramifications of current and future battles.

"And right now - we're gonna have a lot of PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] to treat, my friends," he said. "We're gonna have a lot of combat wounds that have to do with these terrible explosive IEDs that inflict such severe wounds. And my friends, it's gonna be tough, we're gonna have a lot to do."

Tags: mccain, politics, war, empire, praetor

Dems are 20th Century, Republicans 19th

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:15:31 GMT

clipped by: kelvin273
clipper's remarks: It was hard to get a coherent 1000-character clip out of this, but the point's an interesting one. The more in-depth analysis in the full article is worth reading, too.

Clip Source: hnn.us

As the Democratic contest becomes a battle of two titans, it is becoming a nationwide fight between two political stars with national constituencies. This was characteristic of some of the great nomination battles of the last half-century

But the more wide-open Republican contest evokes comparisons with the fragmented nomination contests of yesteryear – only in those days the constituencies were often state or at best regional and today they are less geographically-based.

While much of the focus recently has been on race and gender in the Hillary versus Obama contest, the simple fact that the two have that iconic, Cher-like, famous-enough-to-be-known-by-one-name status, suggests that we are also talking about the politics of celebrity.

So far, the three Republican victors most resemble the various regional warlords who would show up to quadrennial party conventions in the 1800s

this year’s convention may actually be relevant for the nomination of the party’s standard bearer

Tags: politics, election, history

Talk Of Change

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:11:46 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: Money always talks.

Clip Source: www.truthout.org

Talk of Change
Bill Moyers Journal
t r u t h o u t | Programming Note

Airdate: Friday, January 11, 2008, at 9:00 p.m. EDT on PBS.
(Check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/about/airdates.html.)

With all the talk of change coming out of the campaigns, can we expect big money to lose its grip on Washington? Bill Moyers interviews New York Times investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner David Cay Johnston, who says America's system has been rigged to benefit the super-rich. Also on the program: he won in Iowa and lost in New Hampshire, but what does Obama's candidacy tell us about the politics of race in America? Bill Moyers talks with Shelby Steele, who has written widely on race in American society and is author of the recent book "A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win." And leading expert on media and politics Kathleen Hall Jamieson sorts spin from reality after the primary.

Dirty Tricks

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:19:38 GMT

clipped by: schreibe
clipper's remarks: Real interesting interview about what takes place during an election, from a guy who's been there....done that!

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

Dirty Tricks

A former political operative explains how they're done.

By Jeffrey Bartholet

Newsweek Web Exclusive

Updated: 9:55 AM ET Jan 8, 2008

Political campaigns have overt and covert operations. Some of the hidden activity is legitimate, including "oppo research" done to find inconsistencies in a rival candidate's record. But other activities are dishonest, even potentially illegal. Those who carry out the dirty tricks—push-polls, anonymous fliers, bogus letters meant to incite the recipient against a particular candidate—sometimes go to great lengths to remain anonymous.

Raymond explains how he got into the sleazy side of the business and how it works. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Jeffrey Bartholet about his misdeeds and his views on the tricks being used in the current presidential campaign. Excerpts:

Tags: politics

Conflict in Iran: Symbiosis between Bush and Ahmadinejad

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:46:03 GMT

clipped by: ouyangwulong
clipper's remarks: I've stitched together three very interesting articles over the last week, which become much more interesting when you read them in sequence. Look carefully at what is happening.

If there is anything that lays bare the role of the Bush Administration's jingoistic belligerence in the Middle East, it is the recent conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

With the international pressure off Ahmadinejad, he starts taking heat in Iran for the shortcomings of his leadership. Without fear, his belligerent and isolationist politics lose their appeal. In order to defend his world view, and preserve the source of his power, he needs America as an enemy...

So some Iranian boats play around with one of our convoys, Bush comes out with some insane saber-rattling press conference, and, Ahmadinejad is back in business, courtesy of the Bush administration.

If you desire war, you need an enemy.

If you need an enemy, you desire war.

Bush needs Ahmadinejad.
Just like Ahmadinejad needs Bush.

Clip Source: www.iht.com

Ahmadinejad loses favor with Khamenei, Iran's top leader

In the past, when Ahmadinejad was attacked by political opponents, the criticisms were usually silenced by Khamenei,

But that public support has been conspicuously absent in recent months.

"Now that Iran is not under the threat of a military attack, all contradictions within the establishment are surfacing,"

"The biggest mistake that Americans have constantly made toward Iran was adopting radical approaches, which provided the ground for radicals in the country to take control."

Clip Source: www.iht.com

In a confrontation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, five armed Iranian boats approached three U.S. Navy warships in international waters, taking aggressive actions

Clip Source: www.iht.com

"We viewed it as a provocative act," Bush told reporters

"Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat, and Iran will continue to be a threat

"And so I'm looking forward to, you know, making it clear that the United States of America sees clearly the threats

Tags: iran, bush, ahmadinejad, conflict, nuclear, diplomacy, symbiosis, politics, terrorism, propaganda

The Policies Never Change

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:56:22 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "Never mind. The whole point of scare tactics is that they can work even in the face of inconvenient facts."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The unemployment report on Friday was brutally bad.

The November election will take place against that background of economic distress, which ought to be good news for candidates running on a platform of change.

But the opponents of change, those who want to keep the Bush legacy intact, are not without resources. In fact, they’ve already made their standard pivot when things turn bad — the pivot from hype to fear. And in case you haven’t noticed, they’re very, very good at the fear thing.

You see, for 30 years American politics has been dominated by a political movement practicing Robin-Hood-in-reverse, giving unto those that hath while taking from those who don’t. And one secret of that long domination has been a remarkable flexibility in economic debate. The policies never change — but the arguments for these policies turn on a dime.

Tags: but, the, arguments, do

After A Son's Death

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:14:28 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "From afar, Americans have wondered at their bond or questioned their values, cheered them on or condemned them. Some people assumed they were in denial, others accused them of an ambition that knew no bounds.
But to the Edwardses, their decision simply showed a sense of purpose and a lesson learned a decade ago from crushing pain: If you can’t control life, you can at least embrace it more urgently."

I simply CANNOT fathom a death of a child, much less run a political campaign while suffering from cancer. Just from looking at her in pictures, I can tell Elizabeth is NOT a well woman. Say what you want about their politics, the Edward's have more strength than I could must up in a lifetime. And I admire them for that.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

In an instant, a world in which everything seemed right suddenly seemed all wrong. John and Elizabeth Edwards’s 16-year-old son, Wade, their first-born, was dead, with nothing to blame but the gust of wind that had flipped his car off a wide-open road.

As the couple walked down the aisle of the church for his funeral, they braced each other, friends recalled, as if they could not stand alone.

In the bleak months that followed, the Edwardses looked for ways to keep Wade’s name alive, taking comfort even in seeing it printed on credit-card offers that arrived in the mail

And they decided Mr. Edwards would enter politics, a path that took him first to the United States Senate and now to his second run for the presidency.

Her visibility and their decision to continue with the campaign despite learning in March that her cancer was incurable has put the Edwardses’ marriage on display like no other in this presidential race.

Tags: we, all, have, struggles

In Memoriam to a soldier, not unknown

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:54:24 GMT

clipped by: ouyangwulong
clipper's remarks: This is the conclusion of Hitchen's essay on the death of Mark Daily, a young man who was inspired by Hitchens to join the army, and gave his life in Mosul, Iraq.

The essay is a very interesting and introspective piece, and was one of David Brooks' picks for best essays of the year.

It is well worth reading to contemplate the reality of the war, separate from the propaganda and politics. A very refreshing change.

Clip Source: www.vanityfair.com

May it be so, then, and may death be not proud to have taken Mark Daily, whom I never knew but whom you now know, and—I hope—miss.