Politics
-
Young, Gifted and Slack
Gov. Sarah Palin isn’t using the title “Reverend” yet, but that could be her next move. She’s well on her way to becoming a conservative Rev. Al Sharpton in whiteface. At least she’s not known as “Sarah the Fisherman.” (Unless she forgets to take down the “Gone Fishin’” sticky note on her office door in…
-
Man Dies at Chocolate Factory
From CNN: “An employee at a New Jersey chocolate processing plant died Wednesday after falling into a vat of hot chocolate, according to a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor’s office. Vincent Smith II, 29, was dumping raw chocolate into the vat for melting when he fell in from a nine-foot high platform. He suffered…
-
Go Global, America!
During his trip to Ghana, President Barack Obama will deliver a major address celebrating democracy. The speech comes at a time when the president’s efforts to improve America’s image in the world seem to be paying off. But if Obama is to succeed in turning around those negative perceptions of America—the consequences of which Americans…
-
US, Russia Agree to Cut Down Nuke Number
From Yahoo News: “MOSCOW – President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a preliminary agreement Monday to reduce the world’s two largest nuclear stockpiles by as much as a third, down to the lowest levels of any U.S.-Russia accord, and counter what Obama called “a sense of drift” in the countries’ relations. “We…
-
America’s Sarah Palin Dilemma
America has a love-hate relationship with Gov. Sarah Palin. Ever since she burst onto the scene in August 2008 as the most unlikely vice-presidential nominee, Gov. Palin has been the victim of some of the most elitist, vicious and downright sexist attacks I have ever seen leveled against an American political candidate. Say what you like…
-
Bailin’ Palin
For now, the great Republican joke of 2008 has decided to step off the public stage. At least that’s how I read this weekend’s announcement from Alaska governor and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. What will late-night comedians do? Will Tina Fey still have a job? Of course, some time ago, I concluded that…
-
Black Russians Curious to See Obama Straight Up
From Radio Free Europe: “MOSCOW — The visit to Russia by Barack Obama, the first black man to be elected president of the United States, is significant for many Russians. But for Russians of African descent, in particular, the new U.S. leader is a potent symbol of triumph over the same challenges they themselves face…
-
Mr. Obama Goes to Moscow
Today, President Barack Obama arrives in Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, for a three-day summit. It will be their first face-to-face exchange since meeting in London in early April, when Obama was in Europe for the G-20 and NATO summits. After a frosty U.S.-Russian relationship during most of President George W.…
-
TV's Golden Age of Rage
This is the modern face of cable television news: angry, emotional, mouth agape in the midst of some hateful monologue. Oh, and in case you hadn’t noticed, the worst purveyors of cable news rage are all white men over 40. The era of the angry white man is officially here. There’s Bill O’Reilly, commanding “bad…
-
Save Pat Buchanan!
The thing is, Pat Buchanan shouldn’t be fired. His rants, while offensive, aren’t persuasive to anyone who doesn’t already agree with him. But they discredit the notion that the Republican Party has entirely moved on from its regressive views on race. For the most part, people have been inclined to shrug off Buchanan’s unapologetic racism,…

