‘Headlines’ Articles

But why dwell on the rank ignorance of a once proud institution of our democracy, when we can focus instead on the pure comedy of those who Republican primary voters will have to choose a standard-bearer from in two years? It may be something like a NASCAR fan watching a wreck on the high oval, but what the heck! So hear we go...live from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California (if he is still conservative enough in two years time); its the first GOP Presidential Debate for the 2012 Primary! Take it away, Chris Wallace! [Read the rest of this article...]

With five weeks to go in the extraordinary 2010 election, the race for control of the House and Senate is tightening. The dominant theme of Republican tidal wave, an all-encompassing storyline embraced by the major media outlets for a year now, is contingent now on a series of single digit wins. If the conservatives are to control the House and Senate, it will be by a landslide of tiny margins rather than a landslide of votes. In our democracy, that is good enough (although the idea may have to be explained to Republicans bleating on about "taking back their country"). [Read the rest of this article...]

The script, friends, is simple; cut taxes for high wage-earners and high revenue business, cut domestic programs that target the working class, cut military spending that is directed towards personnel, and then grab a fiddle and watch Rome burn. This is a group of people still committed to a pair of ideals that are diametrically opposed to the best interests of our democracy; the thoroughly debunked notion that any market can police itself, and the thoroughly undemocratic notion that the people of the United States should play second fiddle to corporate interests. Beyond those ideals is an intellectual apathy that stands in stark contrast to the standards set by conservative movers and shakers of the past. [Read the rest of this article...]

Judge Vaughn Walker's decision opens the way for thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual couples across the state to marry beginning next Wednesday, August 18th. [Read the rest of this article...]

As reported last week Barnes and Noble was being sued by stockholder Ron Burkle, who had been trying to accumulate a majority share in the company, but was halted by provisions passed by the company's board. Today the Wall Street Journal announced Barnes and Noble had decided to settle with fellow board member Ron Burkle. The announcement, which the Wall Street Journal said was expected today NEVER happened. Instead the Wall Street Journal issued a statement around 2 pm EDT on August 12, 2010 announcing that the parties had failed to come to a mutually satisfactory deal. According to the Wall Street Journal's early reports the now stalled deal would have halted Burkle’s proxy fight for Barnes and Noble, added two independent board [Read the rest of this article...]

In somewhat confusing news the US government announced on August 2, 2010 that 172 million gallons of oil from the spill following the Deepwater Horizon accident made it into the Gulf of Mexico. The total size of the spill was 206 million gallons, or 4.9 million barrels, of oil. The difference in the two estimates is because the first figure takes into account only the oil that remained to make it's way into the Gulf's waters after fleets of boats and other measures were employed to recapture the oil. This is according to news from the Associated Press and appearing in the August 2, 2010 LA Times. Then, after blasting us with this shocking news the White House turned around and announced two days later on the 4th of August as reported in [Read the rest of this article...]

According to the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, Barnes and Noble announced yesterday that it was considering placing itself up for sale. Huge decreases in market sales, brought about largely by high competition with Amazon and a late jump into the e-reader market, have greatly affected the retail chain. Barnes and Noble had market capitalization of 2.2 billion in 2001 but is currently down to only 950 million. The company's shareholder's are disillusioned due to falling stock prices for the retail book giant and pressured the Board of Directors to make the move. [Read the rest of this article...]

Progressives are making a career out of making politics difficult. To be sure, governing in the presence of the Republicans is quite a chore. The GOP's idea of bipartisanship is clear; do it our way or we will gum up the works, hold our breath, and call you names. But liberals and democrats aren't making it easy on themselves. The Democratic Party and the liberal blogosphere has taken to the same strategies with regards to "new stuff' as the ten year-olds of the world; "I absolutely have to have this new great toy or I will just die!" [Read the rest of this article...]

Refusing to reveal your agenda is Un-American. Refusing to reveal your agenda is cowardice...pure, unadulterated, yellow-bellied, cowardice. Offering the aside that you won't reveal your agenda because the mainstream media will try to make campaign points out of every issue, only serves to turn the maker of the remarks from a coward into a coward with a lame excuse. All media are supposed to make campaign issues out of every candidate's platform. That is called political reporting, and it is the cornerstone of an informed democracy. [Read the rest of this article...]