Posts from ‘December, 2005’

. . . And tonight, no less a light than the New York Times’ pro-Republican columnist, David Brooks, declared The Hammer’s political career kaput.

In our view, bashing someone using a racial stereotype or caricature is bad business, however much we might disagree with the person politically. . . . But don’t get the idea we’re endorsing Jacoby’s slipshod bid to exploit Gilliard’s questionable tactic.

Here are a few odds, ends and links you might find interesting, useful and/or fun. Nothing earthshaking, just an effort to lighten things up a bit during the holiday week. Enjoy.

Erection section: Did you like to build things when you were a kid? Castles, forts, houses, churches, etc? Relive those thrilling days of yesteryear with [...]

So, President Bush claims the resolution Congress passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks gave him authority to breach the Constitution by OK’ing warrantless eavesdropping on American citizens’ communications.
Funny, but former Sen. Tom Daschle, who was a participant in negotiations leading up to passage of that resolution, doesn’t recall that being the [...]

Al Franken’s description of himself as “the hardest-working guy in political talk radio” is no idle boast. For weeks beginning last fall, Franken took his Air America network radio show on the road to cities all over the country.
Franken’s extensive tour was a bid to build his radio audience and promote his latest book, [...]

There’s no rest for the wicked in Iraq, as today’s report of 24-plus fatalities caused by resurgent insurgent attacks shows. While most of those killed were reportedly Iraqis, most of them security personnel, one U.S. soldier was also killed when a mortar round hit the vehicle he was patrolling in.
Clearly, Iraq needs a law [...]

Here, in time for Christmas, is a welcome bit of news in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.
WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (IPS) - Nineteen of the world’s poorest nations will get debt relief worth 3.3 billion dollars by early next year under a programme announced by wealthy nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday.
The [...]

In American business, the bigger they are, the harder they play ball. For example, you might think that because it’s the country’s biggest business, Wal-Mart (Always Low Wages, Always) wouldn’t stoop to doing its workers out of their lunch breaks.
You might think that. You might even want to think that. But, if you do [...]

“In a basically free society, abuses of civil and human rights often initially make sense, which appears to have been the case when President Bush took his baby steps toward a system of warrant-free, electronic surveillance of persons inside the United States — some citizens, some not.
“Over time, however, the inch that government first [...]

While most Americans prepared to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, our Republican-controlled Senate honored the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge Wednesday, passing the most mean-spirited budget bill in several years.
Perfectly type cast for his part, Vice President Dick Cheney presided over the session so he could cast the tie-breaking vote. This time, at least, he [...]