How can a publication like the Los Angeles Times, that was known for years as producing solid journalistic endeavors and contained on of the best sports pages anywhere in America, (Jim Murray, Alan Malamud (sp) and others), produce such a half-baked one-sided faux-expose? Why is the Times seemingly in bed with Superintendent Cortines, who only wants to assign blame to teachers for the district's utter failure to graduate children, (50%) pass solid numbers of literate children who can write and critically read, and be fiscally solvent ? Further, there is no mention of administrators who have embezzeled, lied, cheated, even some who committed lewd acts with children and been reassigned elsewhere; never ever bothered to monitor ... More »

Like cockroches,rats and other vermin, hiding inside sewers and gutters, awaiting the green light of night time signaling commencement of their dirty work, these hate- virused groups need periodic assessment and termination. Articles such as this one espoused by the highly regarded SPLC, seeks to first expose and diagnose the problem, which it does in breathtaking fashion. Anyone not feeling simultaneously both horrified and queasy at their findings is either overly jaded, somewhat sedated or simply attention-deficient. The infestation of hate, (or as Hunter S. Thompsen so aptly put it , pure "fear and loathing,") has not left the building, but is alive and well, if not thriving in parts of "these here United States." ... More »

Caution: WARNING! WARNING! "L" word used in introductory paragraph! Be on the lookout for conservative and/or conservative thought process! My first question upon reading this piece is this: When was the last time my politics was brought into question when I donated money, time, clothing, food or toys, to the poor, which my family does on a regular basis? Who among us was ever asked our political leanings when donating time at a soup kitchen or helping our church or community group assistt the poor? Answer: Never. Result: instant invalidation of author's premise. We do not know the politics of charitable donors, nor should we. Charity, be it any denomination or persuasion is a personal devotion of time or money that has ... More »

So much op-ed writing is more gravy than turkey these days, and not just because Thanksgiving is near. The assertion of beliefs based upon values espoused makes for very pregnant contentions in any debate, but without employing statistics, relevent evidence and parallel logic, the basic premise becomes a mere house of cards. This piece in 3BlueDudes was well-researched , mightily fortified with both statistical data as well as empirical evidence of the collapsed economy being a harbinger of impending victory for the Democrats, and neatly packaged under the axiom that one party (vis-a-vis, The Republicans), cannot assign blame to the other party (Dems) for for its metamorphosis into a tsunami of sweeping proportions, which ... More »

I don't see thejournalistic value in stories that merely ask a bystander or two their opinions of a candidtae. At this juncture of the campaign, statistics hold far more merit than the same warmed over opinions of the candidates that we have all heard for two years now. Ok, so the desperate McCain gotcha of late is "Did you know Obma is a Socialist?" We know that McCain has swerved all the highway with the Scare Talk Express. The question I want answered, is, what are the numbers in Colorado and has either candidate had an immediate impact on the uncommitted voters at this point?.

While the tax table is useful in defining tax peramteers, the human element of the story's thesis is MIA. While this reviewer cannot speak for bus drivers, as someone who taught school for decades, I could certainly summarize the typical teacher's tax situation with this bit of imergery: IF YOU WORK AND GET PAID FOR ONLY THREE WEEKS OF EACH MONTH, IMAGINE VOLUNTEERING THAT ONE REMAINING WEEK EACH MONTH AND HAVING THE GOVERNMENT GET YOUR CHECK FOR THAT WEEK. Essentially, that is the tax code for teachers and probably most city ,state ,and county employees. It is ostensibly what most people fail to understand about teachers. They believe that teachers, fire and police are paid well compared with other fields of work, yet do not ... More »

Although not roundly sourced, there was a good mention of Latino performers involved, but more from a Miami angle then a national Latino perspective. Yet, Obama is a rock star in every diverse culture residing within America because the youth movement is fueling and predominating them all. When 25,000 people show up to hear and see a presidential candidate speak at a rally that's Big Time Show Business in any language. Most of McCain's supporters are die hard Republicans of little glam standing, like Tom Selleck, who those under 40 don't generally recognize, unlike Bruce Springsteen, who transcends the decades. With Obama Girl and the Fugees and most of Hollywood and Pop music supporting him, Latino performers are major ... More »

This was an outstanding article, with a broad scope of both the pointed criticism and its repercussions. From Wesley Clark to Jay Rockefeller, and many points of light on between, people of courage said what others are afraid to: Senator McCain, you served your country, but exactly whom did you lead and how? Somehow, those close to McCain seem to feel insulted that what came around to John Kerry now goes around to John McCain--and we have reason to believe that Kerry was, according to the sworn testimony of those whom he led, a far greater war hero and selfless leader than was McCain. Let us also remember that the Vietnamese man who rescued McCain and saved his life was visited only once by McCain and never so much as even ... More »

I don't have any complaints with the content of this piece; it presents a fresh viewpoint in terms of broaching the concept of a panel discussion for MTP. Yet, that is already the format on Wahington Week in Review, a long-running PBS political discussion session with top political journalists. I think it was balanced and candid, reflecting the writer's dislike of Russert's approach, yet respecting the man as journalist and stakeholder/gatekeeper of this throwback news show. I can't argue with Mitchell and Todd in tandem, either. Some bias against Keith Olbermann, however, crept in and nastied up the fairness slant a wee bit. Good take, overall.

"Bolsheviks?" Now, that is truly wearing one's own bias on one's sleeve. I believe this was just a sliver of Olbermann's persona revealed, but it tells us nothing of what drives him, what his background in broadcast journalism has been, who K.O.really IS. I read this yesterday and was teribly disappointed in the lack of effort this writer employed within this story. Why tell us he has restless leg syndrome, anyway, unless you are attempting to portray how the man copes with it, has overcome the challenge it presents, or is somehow a better person for having faced this adversity. It simply rings terribly hollow. Boyer questions why KO told the President to shut up--but did not frame it in the proper context of Bush having tried ... More »

While this story does not importune contrasting outside viewpoints, nor pepper it with mitigating subtexts, it does, nonetheless, draw a sparkling- clear contrast, both in its portrayal of each candidate's energy policies, and, more covertly, as well as how each campaign responds to the opposition. Holtz-Eakin has misrepresented the amount that will be 'put back into truckers' pockets," nor can one even assert that figure with precision, given the volatility and daily rise of gas prices. It was assessed at half that--30 cents a day, if I heard right--and in the l0 short weeks of summer, only McCain math could contrive the amount of $600 as the total saved. Further, his staff simply ignores Obama's facts presented as ... More »

I have news for Mr cease and Desist: He stole "Joshua" from the tree that Catholics use every easter in order to pay homage to people of good works, e.g., the saints. Further, no one can steal a name and Joshua is clearly a name. Only the Murdochian Post can contrive quotes as scare tactics to alert the Right that-oh-oh, don't look now!- Obama is here and he's oraganized and ready to take over. The Post is barely a step above the Enquirere and iif one notices that has become a rag for Murdoch's rants against the perceived left. Every week there is a smear story against Obama or Clinton. Never is there any truth to any of it. Now I understand Hollywood's frustration with the trash media.

Sometimes the discerning reader knows he/she is being hoodwinked by opinion writing we know to be true from past edification, yet is not presented cogently by the current writer. Such is the case with his piece. Of course I gree. Of course I remember McCain's horrific parody of FUN FUN FUN, because I found it incendiary at the time he said it. I have news for McCain: some of us in LA know or have met the Beach Boys and their families over the many years, and I truly doubt he'd find much glee f rom them over his misuse of that song. nor do I think the families of children sent to Iraq, some of whom returned in a pine box, find much gaiety in those lyrics, either.I imagine the writer is simply trying to paint the Republican ... More »

This op-ed piece is terrific in its simplicity of straight-forward thought, as well as being highly useful on a social scale, for the next time one finds oneself being told by a Republican, in defense of Bush, "Well, heck, it's not as if Bush is responsible for $4.00+ at the pump," it is now safe to reply, "Oh, but it IS W's fault." I personally always felt a nagging suspicion that this was somewhat true, particularly when Venezuelans are paying something like l5 cents at the pump,while our Mr. Too-Good-For-Them-'Zuelans refuses to speak or do buiness with them. It's as though my neighbor has access to all the courtside Lakers tickets I could want, but I'm ticked off that he borrowed my rake and bent it, so I act as though I ... More »

Perhaps even science is catching on to the audacity of hope. The day that we can regulate appliance wattage/usage through grid control, is the day that blackouts are a thing of the past. This is absolutely a must-read and even if it wasn't widely sourced, the practical knowledge provided was invaluable.

Raw Story has the obligation to its readership to relay that which the mainsteam does not necessarily cover. Content appears straightforward, viewpoint balanced and objective, a just-the-facts-ma'am sort of piece. Having watched the MSNBC and CNN coverage, however, there was a distinct difference in tone and length of coverage. Not surprisingly, CNN paid only scant attention and a quick mention of the event. MSNB, on the other hand, provided commentary by a consitutional law professor from George Washington University on the value and efficacy of the proceedings. He made mention of some articles not being prosecutable, yet viewed it was nonetheless important, despite the fact that it was inevitably to be sentenced to death in ... More »

These are heady times in the NYT Op- Ed Dept., and why not? The drama, pathos, and comedy inherent within the confines of the 2008 Presidential Campaign provide a rich (no pun intended) breeding ground for observant and/or talented writers, and Frank Rich is undoubtedly both. Rich contends that two distinctly different visions of America are projected by each party's candidates in this campaign: Obama portends "cheery" positivity, with the notion of inclusion for the voters, whereas McCain is the contentious warrior, his armor perched atop a coat rack, poised to battle for his country. The variation in the message's deliverance, according to Rich, is what separates the two men. Invoking Lesson l-Comm.Arts l0l, (its core ... More »

Why did this writer quote Sen. Obama as follows: "That's not-that's not leadership?" No one quotes speech guffaws no matter how slight unless they have an agenda, and that quote distortion spoke volumes for me. When the writer also took exception to the proposed coal-into-fuel production as added pollution, he neglected to state that the bill already contained emissions restraints--thus making it appear that Sen. Obama doesn't know what he is talking about. Having registered voters in Nevada in 2004, I learned firsthand that Bush's Yucca Mountain waste storage proposal was a thorn in the sides of the voters, and ran counter to personal promises he'd made earlier to Sen. Reid. Nevadaans were lukewarm about Kerry but red-hot ... More »

I have seen far better stories in Newsweek, but perhaps the author had difficulty being inspired by his topic. Still, it is always fascinating to watch the opposition shoot itself in the foot. First, McCain keeps insisting that Obama is merely cotton candy while he's meat and potatoes, yet, when dished a hearty question, his plate still remains empty. For well over half a century, each and every Republican has characterized Democratic candidates as "tax and spend." Yawn. How Maverickian. He then states Obama wants to return to those fabulous days of yesteryear--i.e., " the failed policies of the 60s and 70's." Nixon was President for a portion of that time, as I recall. McCain just keeps stepping on his own foot. So, ... More »

Surely, nothing beats "video verite." I actually watched this speech on CSPAN because I appreciate the message in the film itself, sans commentary, yet I can also, likewise, appreciate Candy Crowley and David Gergen, to be sure. This was an outstanding speech, in fact, so tremendous that I wondered if Ted Sorenson had been summoned to Washington this past week. I was waiting for an exhortation to 'ask what your country can do for you.' To Sen. Clinton's credit, she delivered it with warm eloquence, grace under pressure, and heartfelt passion. One never had a sense of forced words or phrases.It spoke to the glass ceiling for women in America, now shattered--or cracked-- by her candidacy, and it was heartwarming to see the dads ... More »

One of the many "other shoe's" that will be "dropping" in the coming weeks, Antonio Villaraigosa's endorsement is significant because he was the West coast campaign liason for Ms. Clinton. As an Angeleno with myriad complaints about the LA Times' coverage,(and their mission to deliver said paper in any existant driveway puddle ), the blogs actually provide far better coverage overall. That stated, The Times Editorial Board was impressed enough with Sentor Obama to have endorsed him in the California spring primary. I believe that Villaraigosa's popularity within the Latino community is the insurance policy that the Obama campaign would be thrilled with come November. Even so, my sense is that Latinos here are going to vote ... More »

If a picture is worth a l,000 words, and every picture tells a story,to borrow a couple of cliches, then this says it all. Firat, you have a man who clearly is not comfortable with media. A la Nixon, circa l960, he has not learned how to master the art of playing to the camera. There is a disconnect between McCain and the viewer which creates a vacuum in terms of message reception and thusly destroys any possible feedback.This is anti-Marshall McLuhan, a total communication deficit. The wording is incongruous and the message, as mentioned, remains convoluted. The poster is correct: it doesn't explain how we are safer. What this clip DOES tell us is that McCain has both a substance expression problem, as well as lacking a ... More »

A red herring, the rhinocerous in the room,verbally walking on eggshells; whichever metaphor one employs, when it comes to issues of race, according to Jonathan Kaufman, one must tread gingerly lests the ghosts of prejudices past awaken in time to exhort a loud "Aha!" This, he believes, will stop John McCain and the GOP from painting Barrack Obama with the broad brush strokes of racism? With all due respect to Kaufman, only a white man, highly educated or not, would ascribe to such naivete. Yet, while that statement, in fact, might rattle some cages, many black folks might just be "bitter" enough to heed the historcally long shadow that racism in American politics has cast. Despite the fact that Obama, born of the post-Emmit ... More »

I'm not surprised McCain distorted the stand taken by Obama. The more I hear McCain speak, the less he impresses me as some kind of maverick politician. From where has that label drived? All we hear are misrepresentations like this, along with mistakes and misnomers about the facts. He is three steps too late on his attacks, trying to grab handfuls ofprimary fodder already forgotten or rehashed into the ground. Yesterday, for example, he dug up and dusted off a "bitter" quote that was not even derived from the actual quote. He mentioned "consitution" when Obama had actually employed the words "guns and religion." Miller supplies a clear contrast between the two distictly different bills, and supports it with solid analysis.More ... More »

For the Wall Street Journal to hire Karl Rove to assess John McCain, for whom he is an adviser, is the validity equivalent of asking Kobe Bryant which team he believes will win the NBA Championship. It's not as though Rove can write, either, beginning sences with conjunctions and substituting a senetence for a paragraph. It is mind-boggling that he is thusly employed while some talented writer is still sending out resumes. Rove conveys little beyond his usual GOP cheerleading stunt in the way of substance. For Rove to assert that categorized Democratic primary votes ordinarily and automatically translate into the same come November is both short-sighted and analytically short-changed. Primaries mean a preference for one ... More »

McCain's McCarthyite chorusing of the term"socialized medicine" should really be examined in the context of its anachronistic jargon. Socialized medicine? Does he presuppose that the American people of 2008 as a whole are so fearful of anything that could be relegated to socialism that they would cast aside all financial worries and purchase private health insurance? Does he know that many bankruptcies are the direct result of illness or injury that so depletes one's insurance benefits it often leaves one drowning in a sea of debt? What planet is McCain on that he would invoke a 1950s horror movie plot synopsis as an justification to veto that which he cannot comprehend as viable regarding no-cost health care plans in the ... More »

This story should have omitted the reference to frailty and feebleness. It smacks of ageism and cocktail party gossip. To reach 90 years of age is an extraordinary milestone and many prolific senior citizens have contributed greatly to our society and culture even beyond 90. Grandma Moses had yet to paint some of her more amazing masterpieces ; John Wooden at 96 still gives speeches and interviews;Helen Thomas, from what I have read, has just written her memoirs;Lena Horne, Ray Bradbury, still going strong--and aren't Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner just about there? Certainly the writer could have done Senator Byrd more justice by including just a tad of what he has contributed to the political landscape over his many decades of ... More »

If ever a story could serve its objective of tarring and feathering its perceived villain, this one surely accomplished that. It reminded me of the news reporter bit from the old Steve Allen Tonight Show when Steve would scream his editorial opinion and the audiance would yell, "Yeah! Yeah!" and he'd reply, "Schmock! Schmock!" to render the mock-outrage to utter ridiculousness. There is no fairness whatsoever in this article. There was no response from Obama. There was no tempered analysis from a 3rd party. In fact, the alleged truth was misrepresented and all it was turned out to be a McCain rally in writing--which is nothing more than propaganda.

This was a decent piece that renders a small panaorama of much larger machinations in force within the Democratic Party at this time. I don't believe that the handing of the torch to Barack Obama just happened last Saturday, however. It germinated last Iowa and is now full-term and undeniable, not unlike a rhinocerous in a living room. Chuck Todd's views are pretty much spot-on in their succinct correctness of perception, which makes him a reliable source. Harold Ickes is morphing into a caricature of Scrooge/Cruella DeVille in the eyes of Obama supporters, and, perhaps, other Democrats and Independants, as well. Lastly, one facet of thought that needed mentioning by the author was the possibility that after tomorrow night ... More »

Actually, this was an almost decent piece of writing, despite the lack of sources. It does prove essentially that in trying to cover up the right wing's propagandistic brand of journalism it reveals it even more transparently. The airwaves are seemingly engulfed by the likes of the see-no-evil-hear-no-evil (unless one is speaking of Democrats) Limbaugh, Allen, Elder, et al. The other day I almost got through 15 minutes of Elder , the former Libertarian who swore he was a no-party guy until the Republicans lobotomized him and made him their shill. He even went so far as to give a wrong definition of cognitive dissonance in order to color his opinion that the book penned by the former Press Secretary had to be a lie. (Had my ... More »

The author cited gay group vs. politico, but did not venture to inquire of active voters on both sides of party lines what they thought. Overall, it was an informative article that explained the implications of the California and Massachusetts gay marriage laws,particularly as it pertains to New York's implementation and accomodation of said laws in terms of those couples moving to New York.

This is an outstanding journalistic endeavor. Not only did it convey the somewhat tepid excuses as reponded by news editors and sources, but also highlighted the need for families and the population in general to sustain the consistent flow of daily news from Iraq and in Washington, as it relates to the war. These young men and women cannot be forgotten like some unimportant unpleasantry one deigns not to speak of. The answer as to why Iraq is not paying for this war itself has never been fully explined. discussed and addressed by the mainstream media. It boggles the mind that so fundamental an issue such as fiscal responsibility not being taken by for one country's own lack of governance, and thus being allowed to have this ... More »