I don’t remember a time in my life time were a non-violent event caused so dramatic a situation as the financial crisis that is unfolding in the U.S. right now. Mickey Kaus captures well on Slate.com the fickleness of John McCain:
Drama Queen: No convention today! ... OK, it’s on! ... The economy’s sound… No, wait, it’s going to fall apart unless I go to Washington tomorrow! ... We need a commission! ... We need to fire somebody! ... Get me Andrew Cuomo! ... I want ten more debates! ... But let’s postpone the one we’ve scheduled! ... Do you get the impression a McCain presidency would be a bit exhausting? ...
Continue ReadingThe best details from Barton Gellman’s new book on the vice president.
By Juliet Lapidos (Slate.com)
It’s often said on late-night TV that given Dick Cheney’s cardiovascular problems, George W. Bush is just a heartbeat away from the presidency. In his new book, Angler, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barton Gellman suggests that this joke contains more than just a grain of truth. By immersing himself in details about national security and numerous other hot-button issues that the president was too lazy or too incurious to study, Cheney often managed to position himself as the real “decider.”
Continue ReadingOne of the reason John F. Kennedy was so popular were his great looks. I can understand why evangelical Republicans are ecstatic about the nomination of Palin. But why she is popular in the entire Republican party cannot be explained by her record. I suspect her good looks and her outgoing personality are an important factor. But now the vetting of Sarah Palin has started in earnest. The New York Times sent a number of reporters to Alaska to find out about her history as a mayor and governor. (Click on “More” to read the story “In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics.”)The American people have re-elected George Bush after it was very clear what kind of administration he was running. It will be interesting to see whether they will elect someone to be a heartbeat away from the presidency who has so similar instincts as George Bush junior.
Continue ReadingImage of Hurricane Ike on September 10, 2008, downlinked by the crew of the International Space Station, flying 220 statute miles above Earth.
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