Blog Posts

What the CWA and DFA Endorsements Mean

sandersBernie Sanders' Presidential bid received two significant boosts today. First, the 700,000 member Communications Workers of America (CWA) endorsed Sanders. Then, Howard Dean's Democracy for America (DFA) bucked its founder's call for members to support Clinton and instead overwhelmingly opted to back Dean's fellow Vermonter. Here are five takeaways:

Topics: 

The problem with Hillary Clinton's anecdotes

HRCNHAs is her wont, Hillary Clinton is telling tales on the campaign trail. Eight years ago, she cited her landing in Sarajevo during the Balkans war under sniper fire and having "to run with our heads down" from the plane as evidence that she had more foreign policy experience than then-Senator Barack Obama. 

Topics: 

Rahm Emanuel is gettting away with Murder

McDonaldChicago's Rahm Emanuel has about as ugly record as a Mayor can have when it comes to protecting the public - especially African Americans - from police brutality. An ongoing series by the Guardian this year revealed that since Emanuel took office in 2011, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has detained over 2500 people – nearly all of whom are black - at a secretive facility known as Homan Square. Locals liken it to a CIA “black site” where arrestees are routinely held for hours or longer and subject to physical abuse.

Topics: 

University Unrest - It's Complicated

TalleyrandI'm a hard-core liberal progressive definitely. Or perhaps I'm a progressive liberal. Anyway, I'm one or the other unless I'm both.  Conservative ideology in my view is morally and intellectually bankrupt.

Back in the last century, my somewhat more moderate - but still definitely liberal - father and my teenage self debated this. When the argument heated up, he would put his hand on my shoulder and say “my son, surtout pas trop de zèle.” Okay, maybe he didn't always say “surtout pas trop de zèle” but I'm pretty sure he did at least one time. And if he didn't he should have.

Topics: 

Oops, She Did it Again

bernie-hillaryHillary Clinton's kindler gentler Presidential campaign grinds on.  It's been a few weeks since the first (and so far only) Democratic debate where she enjoyed her finest hour in this election cycle thanks in no small measure to Bernie Sanders.  She has returned the favor by shamelessly and dishonestly playing gender and race cards against him.

Topics: 

It's time to rethink this whole "men's" room/"women's room thing

roomsAn Illinois school district is in the news because it has been refusing to permit a transitioning female athlete use the girl's locker room.  Instead, her high school has made available a private shower for her.  She has sued claiming stigma and the Department of Education agrees that because she is psychologically a girl, she has the right to use the girl's room.  If the school doesn't make available to her full access to the girl's room within 30 days or reach a mutually agreeable accommodation, the feds may withhold funding.

Topics: 

Art is Inherently Personal and Political

BarbaraAllenHelaine Smith is an English teacher at an elite K-12 girls school in New York City.  The Wall Street Journal recently published her essay on teaching literature without letting "politics" or "personal identity" intrude.  Here is my response to the Journal:

The Beauty of High Marginal Tax Rates on the 1%

Dewey-LeBoeuf-new-sign-New-York2-300x184Monday, the New York Times reported that the recently-concluded criminal trial against three former executives at the bankrupt Dewey & LeBoeuf law firm ended in a mistrial.  Last week, the jury hung on several of the 151 charged counts of fraud and acquitted on others.

Topics: 

Attribution Theory or why Media Elites don't like Bernie Sanders

LizzaRight after the Democratic debate Ryan Lizza tweeted "Hillary Clinton won because all of her opponents are terrible."  Other pundits were every bit as hyperbolic as the New Yorker's snarky reporter.  The Boston Globe declared "Hillary Clinton roars, Bernie Sanders stumbles".  Politico insisted "Clinton towers, Sanders glowers." 

Topics: 

Hillary, the TPP, and me

19th International AIDS Conference Convenes In WashingtonAs a caustic Clinton critic and tenacious tart-tongued TPP traducer, my reaction to Hillary's announcement that she opposes the multi-nation "free trade" deal should be obvious.  I would openly question her commitment to the working Americans she says the partnership will hurt.  I would doubt that she really cares that giveaways in the deal to pharmaceutical companies will hurt consumers.

Topics: 

Pages

TypeTitleAuthorRepliesLast updated
LinkDigital voting in GA - now you see it, poof now you don't PeraclesPlease16 years 6 months ago
LinkDavid Brooks's "How to Engage a Fanatic" HSG36 years 6 months ago
LinkI went to school with the Vegas shooter HSG516 years 6 months ago
LinkTrump expresses support for health-care subsidy deal days after saying he would end payments artappraiser56 years 6 months ago
LinkTrump to unveil NAFTA proposals that throw the deal into peril artappraiser376 years 6 months ago
Blog entryHomage to Catalonia: the Conspiracy Factory PeraclesPlease356 years 6 months ago
Reader blogPawns in the Game HSG346 years 6 months ago
Link‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal (& GOP) Politics artappraiser16 years 6 months ago
LinkMore Wisdom from an NYT Con Columnist HSG536 years 6 months ago
Blog entryThere Was a Shooting and Who Wants This Fight Again? Michael Maiello176 years 6 months ago
LinkSee even conservatives agree with Hal HSG296 years 6 months ago
LinkBernie Sanders Just Gave the Progressive Foreign-Policy Speech We’ve Been Waiting For A Guy Called LULU246 years 6 months ago
LinkTrump is right Puerto Rico's debt crisis will hinder recovery HSG06 years 7 months ago
LinkBlack women losing patience w Dem Party PeraclesPlease146 years 7 months ago
Blog entryWanking Weiner PeraclesPlease336 years 7 months ago
LinkMcCain says his cancer prognosis is "very poor" HSG46 years 7 months ago
LinkJoe Biden’s Platform for 2020: Anti-Populism artappraiser96 years 7 months ago
Reader blogBreathe Flavius46 years 7 months ago
LinkTrump: NFL Needs Less Kneeling, More Concussions NCD76 years 7 months ago
LinkHillary by numbers: 538 weighs in PeraclesPlease236 years 7 months ago
LinkNew GOP ObamaCare repeal bill gains momentum artappraiser146 years 7 months ago
Blog entryRecord Levels of Median Income (Not What It Seems) Michael Maiello256 years 7 months ago
LinkObama's Wall Street Speeches Don't Outrage Democratic Leaders HSG756 years 7 months ago
LinkCarlyle Thanks Obama Three Years Later HSG356 years 7 months ago
Reader blogRift between Environmentalists and Unions Highlights Clinton's Weaknesses HSG126 years 7 months ago

Pages

Latest Comments