The Delusion Revolution: We're on the Road to Extinction and in Denial

By Robert Jensen, AlterNet

Our current way of life is unsustainable. We are the first species that will have to self-consciously impose limits on ourselves if we are to survive.

• August 15, 2008
• More »

Your Flat Screen Has (Greenhouse) Gas

Emily Udell, In These Times

Environment: A chemical used in the manufacturing of flat-screen televisions could rival some of the world's most potent greenhouse gases.


FOX News Calls White Supremacist, Holocaust Denier and Anti-Semite a 'Free Speech Activist'

Heidi Beirich, Hate Watch

Media and Technology: Fox News interviewed Paul Fromm, an infamous racist and Holocaust denier, presenting him as a normal guest.


Who Orchestrated the Fall of Bear Stearns?

Nicholas von Hoffman, The Nation

Americans know all the sleazy details of the Edwards affair. But they remain in the dark about a scandal that affects the livelihoods of millions.

How to Stop the Smears Against Obama

Post by Robert Greenwald
Video: Make sure the media know that when it comes to Obama, The FOX Is Wrong! More »

• Full Post

The Long War: How Many Iraqs and Afghanistans Lie Ahead?

Andrew Bacevich, Tomdispatch.com

ForeignPolicy: The Pentagonization of the United States shows no sign of slowing down.


The Great Corporate Tax Heist

Robert L. Borosage, Huffington Post

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Want to learn how to make $50 million and not pay taxes? More than a quarter of large U.S. corporations do it every year.


Unfit for Publication: Swiftboater Book 'The Obama Nation' Filled with Falsehoods

Matthew Gertz, Eric H. Hananoki, Media Matters for America

Media and Technology: A review finds that Jerome Corsi's new book contains numerous falsehoods about Sen. Barack Obama.


How Taxpayer Money Is Wrapped Up in Georgian War

Sharona Coutts, ProPublica

ForeignPolicy: A pipeline that runs through Georgia is the second largest in the world, and American tax dollars helped fund big oil projects in the region.

Where's Al Gore When We Need Him?

Brent Budowsky, Consortium News

Environment: McCain is an environmental sellout. So why isn't Gore challenging him visibly, aggressively and clearly?


Can Exercise Come in a Pill?

Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet

Health and Wellness: A new drug works at the genetic level to change metabolism. But how effective is it? And is it safe?


McCain Is Absent on America's Energy Crisis, Misses Eight Key Votes

Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times

Election 2008: In the last year, McCain has been a no show for every vote on a crucial piece of renewable energy legislation.

Overhyping Georgia
Matthew Yglesias
August 13, 2008 | web only
The short war between Russia and Georgia provoked overheated rhetoric in the United States from politicians and political commentators alike.

But having frittered away the past seven years on a foreign policy driven by hubris, the United States can ill-afford to misplace its priorities.

The group blog of The American Prospect
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Posted at 3:56 p.m.



A respectable liberal blog
USA!
Posted at 4:31 p.m.


Dean Baker's economic commentary
[color="#800000"]Immigration assumptions
Posted at 11:33 p.m.

The Meltdown Lowdown
Dean Baker
August 14, 2008 | web only
This week in economic news: McCain supports privatizing social security, The Washington Post is in denial about the housing bubble, and Wall Street jobs are now being outsourced.

Obama's Abortion Challenge
Ed Lasky
Barack Obama faces a formidable challenge in his attempt to win pro-life voters in key states without alienating the Democratic Party's abortion faction. More

Barry the Unready and Putin the Poisoner
James Lewis
Leaders were once named after their most (in)famous acts. More

How the East Was Lost
Bruce Walker
Ronald Reagan won the Cold War almost without firing a shot. Today, China is a brash, tough power, Russia invading a neighbor, and Moslems believe overwhelmingly that America, the liberator of tens of millions of Moslems from godless Communism, is the "Great Satan." What happened? More

Kyle-Anne Shiver on the air
August 15, 2008
Kyle-Anne Shiver will be a guest on the KSFO Morning Show with Lee Rodgers today, at 8 AM Pacific Daylight time. More

Our British allies in Iraq
August 14, 2008
Three years ago this month, American freelance journalist Steven Vincent was kidnapped and murdered in Basra, Iraq, a port city then under British military control. More

Greenspan sees housing crisis easing next year
August 14, 2008
Stablized housing prices in the first half of the year should help ease the global financial crisis. More

Cyberwars: the Dry Run
August 14, 2008
The cyber attack is one of the tools Russia pulled from the "Making War" goody bag.

Vote early and often for Obama in Ohio
August 14, 2008
A new Ohio law permits voters to register on election day and vote via absentee ballot. No ID will be required. More

Rove sees MI, CO, VA, and OH as crucial
August 14, 2008
Not matter what you think of Karl Rove, you must acknowledge that he is one of the better political strategists around today. More

Pravda does Georgia
August 14, 2008
"Russia: Again Savior of Peace and Life." So stated a recent headline from Pravda regarding the impending war with Georgia. More

McCain won't rule out Pro-Choice Running Mate
August 14, 2008
Will McCain tempt fate - and the wrath of evangelicals - by choosing a pro-choice candidate? More

Russian breakout
August 14, 2008
Even after the Russian's rolled over the Georgian army, landing a strangle hold on Europe's oil and gas, the EU, characteristically divided, remained powerless More

Dem platform shaped to help Obama with abortion issue
August 14, 2008
Democrats are trying hard to give the warm and fuzzies to voters who find abortion abhorrent. More

Georgian 'Cease Fire' a Sham
August 14, 2008
Some day when the history of our times is written, futire historians may very well marvel at the utter stupidity and wide-eyed naivete of the west when facing aggression. More

Pelosi Threatens Lieberman
August 14, 2008
Joe Lieberman's days as a committee chairman are numbered. More

Mikheil Saakashvili: War Criminal: Justin Raimondo

Blowback From Bear-Baiting: Patrick Buchanan

Political Pipeline: Muhammad Sahimi

DC's Laughable Lack of Self-Awareness: D. Bandow

The Lessons of Endless War: Bacevich/Engelhardt

Weakness Behind Putin's Belligerence - Philip Stephens, Financial Times
Europe Wins a Gold Medal for Defeatism - Gerard Baker, Times of London
Iraq May Be Stable, But the War Was a Mistake - Francis Fukuyama, WSJ
Obama Blinks in Clinton Face-Off - Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News
Democrats Should Choose FDR Over McGovern - Michael Lind, Salon
Progressives in the Obama Moment - Borosage & Vanden Heuvel, The Nation
Mommy Won't Help Dems on Abortion - David Harsanyi, Denver Post
The Clintons Are Here to Stay - Toby Harnden, RealClearPolitics
Lieberman: Only Out of Desperation - Rich Lowry, New York Post
McCain, Stop Putting Teachers in Corner - Randi Weingarten, NY Dly News
Whose 'Special Interests'? - Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics
Russia's Ominous New Doctrine? - Strobe Talbott, Washington Post
Blowback from Bear Baiting - Pat Buchanan, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Beauty of Imperfection - Kathleen Parker, RealClearPolitics
The End of Aviation - Bradford Plummer, The New Republic
Gordon Brown's Problem is the Dollar - John Tamny, Daily Telegraph
Minority America - Joel Kotkin, New Geography
State Polls: MN: Obama +4, CO: McCain +1 (RasRpts) | Senate Polls
RCP Blog: Morning Report | McCain Ad: 'Taxman'

Editorials
The Americans Arrive in Georgia - The Economist
Crisis in Georgia Highlights McCain's Strengths - Daily Telegraph
Par for Mr. Corsi - Washington Post
In Defense of Exxon Mobil - Investor's Business Daily

Political News & Analysis
McCain Alarms Base with Abortion Comment - The Politico
Obama Details Raising Taxes on Gains, Dividends - Wall St. Journal
Clinton's Name to Be Placed in Nomination - New York Times
Obama Campaign Issues Rebuttal to Book - Associated Press

Transcripts & Speeches


Dick Morris on VP Speculation - Hannity & Colmes
Interviews with Gorbachev & Saakashvili - Larry King Live
Analysts Discuss Russia/Georgia & the U.S. - The NewsHour
August 14 White House Press Briefing - The White House
Bush Announces Assistance for Georgia - George W. Bush

Best of the Blogs
Two Competing Olympic Strategies - Steve Benen, Crooks and Liars
Death of Thought and the Birth of Tyranny - A. W. R. Hawkins, RedState
Fun Times with Anti-Semites and Larouchies - David Weigel, Hit & Run
Crude Oil From Trees. Really. - Hilzoy, Obsidian Wings
Obama's Olympic Ad a Total Waste of Money - Paul Abrams, HuffPo

The Old Future’s Gone: Progressive Strategy Amid Cascading Crises
by Robert Jensen / August 15th, 2008

“The old future’s gone,” John Gorka sings. “We can’t get to there from here.”John Gorka, “Old Future” from the CD “Old Futures Gone,” Red House Records, 2003.

That insight from Gorka,John Gorka. one of my favorite singer/songwriters chronicling the complexity of our times, deserves serious reflection. Tonight I want to argue that the way in which we humans have long imagined the future must be rethought, as the scope and depth of the cascading crises we face become painfully clearer day by day.

Put simply: We’re in trouble, on all fronts, and the trouble is wider and deeper than most of …

(Full article …)

Sixty Minutes Becomes Israeli-Occupied Television
by Ira Glunts / August 15th, 2008

As Philip Giraldi points out in his article “America’s Israeli-Occupied Media,” the Israeli government is continuing its campaign to get the U.S. military to attack Iran or at least give a “green light” for a massive Israeli bombing strike. In pursuit of this reckless and ill-conceived plan Tel Aviv has a willing co-conspirator in the mainstream American media, who will present the Israeli world-view without criticism or qualification.

The recent CBS broadcast of the Sixty Minutes segment “The Israeli Air Force” provides a rather startling example of how the American news media will permit the …

(Full article …)

So This Is What WWIII Looks Like
by Greg Moses / August 15th, 2008

On Sunday Michel Chossudovsky reasoned that the US-backed attack on the capital of South Ossetia was designed to produce a humanitarian crisis. On Wednesday, President Bush declared that the US military would spearhead a humanitarian mission to Georgia, which the Russians had better not bother.

Now Chossudovsky is concluding that the South Ossetia operation, by putting Russian troops in check, is one last step in the encirclement of Iran. All pieces are practically in place for a blockade, including plans to use a warship from Brazil. The anti-Iran coalition, which is global and bi-partisan, will be considering …

(Full article …)

The Politics of Wishful Thinking from the Liberal Establishment
by John Walsh / August 14th, 2008

In this issue of The Nation, an open letter appears in which the signatories position themselves as abject supplicants to Obama, begging him to revert to his earlier stances in his primary campaign.

Thus the letter states: “Since your historic victory in the primary, there have been troubling signs that you are moving away from the core commitments shared by many who have supported your campaign, toward a more cautious and centrist stance…” Several paragraphs later, the letter finally gets around to mentioning “withdrawal from Iraq on a fixed timetable” …

(Full article …)

Iran-U.S. Relations: What Does Normalization Entail?
by Reza Fiyouzat / August 14th, 2008

To the best of memory, one of the first authors, whom I respect, to shed doubts on the possibilities of an American military attack on Iran was Tariq Ali. In an article on Counterpunch (May 11, 2006), he argued succinctly that Iran had been nothing but helpful to the American colonial ventures in Afghanistan and Iraq. So, why would the U.S. attack Iran and turn a big helping asset in the region into a colossal hostility, which would in turn make Americans’ presence in the region far more hellish?

A lot of Iranian socialists, liberals, radical democrats and …

(Full article …)

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy
by Ron Jacobs / August 14th, 2008

The headlines tell the world that the US and the Iraqis are close to a deal to get US troops to leave. Upon further reading, the deal isn’t about getting US troops to leave but making sure that they stay at least five more years. Even then, that’s contingent on the so-called security situation on the ground. An assessment that will be provided by the very men and women whose careers depend on maintaining an occupation there for as long as possible–the military top command. Meanwhile, US troops “inadvertently” killed four more women and a …

(Full article …)

• Kathleen Parker : The Beauty of Imperfection
• John Boehner : Giving Parents, Students, and School Officials a Voice in the American Energy Debate
• John Hawkins : 25 Reasons You Might Be a Liberal
• Suzanne Fields : Lessons From Literature
• Oliver North : Report From a Forgotten War (2nd in a Series)
• Patrick J. Buchanan : Blowback From Bear-Baiting
• Paul Greenberg : How It Was Once Done
• Jonah Goldberg : Nightmare on Dem Street
• Burt Prelutsky : Talking Back to a Black Man
• Diana West : Roars About Russia, Bare Whispers About Islam
• Linda Chavez : A Majority Minority Nation
• Brent Bozell III : TV's Contempt For Marriage
• Michelle Malkin : Cheating ChiComs, Crouching IOC
• David Limbaugh : Relentless Race Narrative
• Rich Lowry : The Lieberman Option
• Dick Morris and Eileen McGann : The Lesson of Georgia: Bring Ukraine Into NATO
• Michael Reagan : Dreamers vs. Realists
• Paul Weyrich : Senator George S. McGovern, Manifesting Wisdom as to the Union Card-Check Issue
• Fred Thompson : Dangerous Times In Georgia Demand Serious Leadership
• Cliff May : Future Shockwave?
• Ross Mackenzie : Solzhenitsyn, Iran, and more About Folk
• John McCaslin : Dirty Politics
• Ann Coulter : Even By Trial Lawyer Standards, Edwards A Real Sleazebag
• Mike S. Adams : Salem's Witch Trial

Leader: How the West should respond

• The war in Georgia was a victory for Russia. The West's options are limited, but it needs to pursue them firmly
• 
  Globalisation and health care: Operating profit
  Why put up with expensive, run-of-the-mill health care at home when you can be treated just as well abroad?
• 
  Pakistan: Beyond Musharraf
  Pakistan’s government should forget about punishing the president and get on with governing
• 
  American cities and housing: The end of the dream?
  The suburbs have been hit hard by the housing crisis. But reports of their death are exaggerated
• 
  Bolivia: Evo’s big win
  A recall referendum strengthens the socialist president, but fails to knock out his opponents in a still-divided country
• 
  Iraq: The benefits and the curse of oil
  The country is awash with oil money but still lacks a proper plan

Watching History One Lap at a Time - Phil Sheridan, Philadelphia Inquirer
Populism McCain Can Offer - George Will, Washington Post
McCain, Obama at Saddleback Church - Carrie Budoff Brown, The Politico
Obama's Purpose-Driven Gamble - Mike Madden, Salon
Obama Operation Running Smoothly - David Broder, Washington Post
No Sinking Feeling About Hillary - Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Putin's Provocations - Matthew Continetti, Weekly Standard
Beijing & Moscow: Rise of Autocrats - Bill Keller, New York Times
Georgia: Let's Not Start World War III - Mike Jackson, The Telegraph
American Arrogance Provoked Putin - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post
The Georgia Crisis: A 3 a.m. Moment - Evan Thomas, Newsweek
In Iraq, Hindsight Isn't 20-20 - Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
Iraqis Must Control Their Own Security - Korb & Duggan, Phil Inquirer
When Will North Korea Collapse? - Richard Halloran, RealClearPolitics
The Threat to America's Global Role - Michael Goodwin, NY Daily News
Latinos and Black Pols - Earl Hutchinson, Philadelphia Inquirer
A Nation of None and All of the Above - Sam Roberts, New York Times

Editorials
McCain and Obama on Schools - Chicago Tribune
Obama's Remedy for Workers - Washington Post
Mark Penn's Politics - Boston Globe
Caving to Terror - New York Post

Political News & Analysis
Candidates Discuss Faith, Failings - Wall Street Journal
Obama Slams Thomas, Hugs McCain - The Politico
Allies Ask Obama for More Specifics - New York Times
Obama Raises $51m in July - Associated Press

Transcripts & Speeches


CBN Interview with Barack Obama - David Brody
Bush Condemns Russian "Bullying" - George W. Bush
Pres. Saakashvili & Sec. Rice Press Conference. - Saakashvili & Rice
Panel Discusses Ceasefire Agreement - Special Report w/Brit Hume
Marcus & Lowry Debate the Week's Politics - The NewsHour

Best of the Blogs
The Purpose Driven Candidates - Scott Johnson, Power Line
Candidates Define 'Rich' - Steve Benen, Carpetbagger Report
Kobe Bryant Schools Liberal NBC on Patriotism - Gateway Pundit
The Conventions: Why Bother? - Karen Tumulty, Swampland
The Overrated Consequences of the VP Choice - Pejman, RedState

NORMAN SOLOMON
Progressives and Obama: The Clash of Narratives By now, across the progressive spectrum, some familiar storylines tell us the meaning of the Obama campaign. In a groove, each narrative digs its truths. But whether those particular truths are the most important at this historical moment is another story.

RAY MCGOVERN
Out Damned Blot: A Letter to Colin Powell counterpunch.org — If you were blindsided, well, here's an opportunity to try to wipe off some of the blot. There is no need for you to end up like Lady Macbeth, wandering around aimlessly muttering, Out damned spot...or blot. You now have a unique opportunity to do some rehab on your reputation.

THOMAS PALLEY
Social Origins of the American Corporate Predator State thomaspalley.com — The predatory nature of contemporary U.S. governance is quintessentially linked to corporations, and it is also a uniquely American phenomenon.

JAMES K. GALBRAITH
What is To Be Done? tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com — These days everyone is playing from the Keynesian play-book. The problem is that no-one admits to it. And the question is, to what end? To what purpose should the policy tools be put? We have a problem of government. It needs to be dealt with in two broad phases. The first concerns dealing with predators. The second is the program going forward. JOANNA GULDI
We've Got to Rebuild America's Crumbling Infrastructure alternet.org — "The nation's skeleton is as fragile as the candy-cane bones sucked down to threads on Cinco de Mayo."

JARED BERNSTEIN
Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance: What to Expect and Why It Really Matters huffingtonpost.com — The Census Bureau will soon release one of the most important government reports: the annual status of poverty, household income, and health insurance coverage. The release is uniquely important...even historical. That's because 2007 was almost certainly the last year of the 2000s recovery, and the Census release enables us, for the first time, to evaluate how the living standards of middle- and low-income families fared over this recovery. It's not likely to be pretty.

CLIVE CROOK
Washington Remains Hobbled by Iraq ft.com — So far, reaction in the US to Russia's invasion of Georgia has been all Vladimir Putin could have wished. Exhausted in every way by its experience in Iraq (a failure not much mitigated by recent progress there), its authority and sense of purpose quite depleted, the U.S. looked slower and less decisive than Europe in its initial response, and that is saying something.

STEPHEN ZUNES
The U.S. and Georgia huffingtonpost.com — The international condemnation of Russian aggression against Georgia is in large part appropriate. But the self-righteous posturing coming out of Washington should be tempered by a sober recognition of the ways in which the United States has contributed to the crisis.

MICHAEL DOBBS
'We Are All Georgians'? Not So Fast. washingtonpost.com — Actually, the events of the past week are better understood against the backdrop of the complicated ethnic politics of the Caucasus, a part of the world where historical grudges run deep and oppressed can become oppressors in the bat of an eye.

TERRENCE MCNALLY AND SUSAN JACOBY
How Anti-Intellectualism is Destroying America alternet.org — Sad but true: Intelligence is a political liability in the U.S. Author of The Age of American Unreason Susan Jacoby explains why.

ISAIAH J. POOLE
A Call For 'Revolution' To Counter The Middle Class Collapse On "Meet the Bloggers" Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that there is a "collapse" of the middle class and that nothing short of a revolution will be needed to reverse it. What we really need is a political revolution in this country," Sanders said, beginning with countering the corporate media spin on what is happening in the economy.

BILL SCHER
Conservative Clarifies: "All Of The Above" Means "All The Drilling We Want" In the latest edition of "The Week in Blog" over at bloggingheads.tv, the Heritage Foundation's Conn Carroll and I talked about the conservative blog reaction to the "Gang of 10" compromise, which would allow some drilling off the southeast coast in exchange for the end of subsidies to Big Oil and renewed investment in clean energy.

DAVID SIROTA
Labor Challenges Obama's Rubinomics It is definitely good news that unions are speaking up, though not for the reason Washington conventional-wisdom parrot Charlie Cook says.

RICK PERLSTEIN
Obvious Question Now that we've seen both candidates for president grilled by a preacher at an Evangelical megachurch, when can we expect a similar ritual at an AFL-CIO convention, with John Sweeney doing the questioning?

TERRANCE HEATH
Weekend Watchdog It looks like another 0-for-3 weekend for the watchdog, even with an opportunity to ask two questions of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

The Downside of Barack Obama's Cool - Michelle Cottle, The New Republic
McCain Shines at Saddleback Forum - Michael Gerson, Washington Post
Washington Remains Hobbled by Iraq - Clive Crook, Financial Times
U.S. Mistakes Don't Excuse Russia's Attack - Trudy Rubin, Philly Inquirer
McCain Reopens the National Security Gap - David Paul Kuhn, The Politico
Following Clinton's Lead with '3 a.m.' Approach - Byron York, USA Today
McCain's Clarity vs. Obama's Nuance - Sally Quinn, Washington Post
Obama Criticized for 'Extreme' Abortion Record - Russell Berman, NY Sun
Rigidness on Abortion May Hurt McCain - Nancy Gibbs, Time
Swing State Review: Colorado - Jay Cost, RealClearPolitics
How Democrats Can Mine the West - Sen. Ken Salazar, Los Angeles Times
Five Ways to Wreck a Recovery - Amity Shlaes, Washington Post
Obama Must Hit Harder on the Economy - Paul Krugman, New York Times
Democrats Offer Lesson in Misleading on Taxes - Kevin Hassett, Bloomberg
Britain's Bleak Houses, Low Expectations - Theodore Dalrymple, City Jrnl
'Serious Mistakes by the West' - Gerhard Schröder, Der Spiegel
Cameron and McCain Would Defy Russia - Janet Daley, Daily Telegraph
RCP Blog: Political Topography | Bayh, Bayh Musharraf | AM Report
Politics Nation: Strategy Memo / VP Watch: This Is the Week

McCain Slams Obama on National Security - Elisabeth Bumiller, NY Times
Visceral Trumps Cerebral - Dick Polman, Philadelphia Inquirer
Obama: Muzzle the Media - Russ Smith, Splice Today
Veep Week Speculation Hits Fever Pitch - Dan Balz, Washington Post
Hillary Strategy Could Work in General Election - Jennifer Rubin, NYO
Obama's Democratic Party - Dana Goldstein & Ezra Klein, American Prospect
Life Lies: Barack Obama & Born-Alive - David Freddoso, National Review
The Wrongheaded Gun Control Decision - Richard Posner, New Republic
South Ossetia Isn't Kosovo - Christopher Hitchens, Slate
VP Watch: Is Mitt Down? /

Editorials
Bye Bye Musharraf - Financial Times
The Future of Nato - Times of London
Obama is Right to Give Clintons Their Moment - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pelosi and Pickens, Investment Partners - Washington Examiner

Political News & Analysis
For Convention, Obama's Image is All-American - New York Times
Potential Veeps Tread Carefully - Wall Street Journal
Obama at San Fran Fundraiser: 'I Will Win' - The Politico
Was McCain in a 'Cone of Silence'? - New York Times

Transcripts & Speeches


McCain's Speech to the VFW Convention - John McCain
Interview with Secretary Rice - Fox News Sunday
Govs. Jindal and Kaine on "Meet the Press" - Meet the Press
Sen. Bayh & Gov. Pawlenty on "Face the Nation" (PDF) - Face the Nation
Interviews with Pres. Saakashvili, Sec. Gates - Late Edition

Best of the Blogs
Married to Misrepresentation - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
A More Positive View of Saddleback - Mike Lux, Open Left
Obama, Health Care and the Party Platform - Ezra Klein, TAP
Abolish the VP - Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress
Those Sadly Ill-Informed Foreingers - Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit

McCain Shines at Saddleback Forum
- Michael Gerson, Washington Post
The Downside of Barack Obama's Cool
- Michelle Cottle, The New Republic
McCain's Back in the Saddleback
- Chuck Todd, NBC News
McCain's Clarity vs. Obama's Nuance
- Sally Quinn, Washington Post

• Michael Gerson : Small Hopes And Large Upsets
• Dave Ramsey : On Swimming Pools, Car Payments, and Insurance
• David Davenport : Straight Talk Express Meets the Great Conversationalist
• Kathryn Jean Lopez : Dems Will Never Abort Pro-Choice Mission
• Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. : Obama's Islamist Problem
• Wynton Hall : Shifting American Sentiments
• Amanda Carpenter : Rick Warren Says McCain Didn't Cheat
• Amanda Carpenter : Obama Calls Pro-Lifers Liars
• John McCaslin : Go Figure
• Harry R. Jackson, Jr. : Faith, Science, and Public Policy
• Burt Prelutsky : The Marxist Brother
• Armstrong Williams : Georgia-Russia Crisis
• Paul Greenberg : Road Map to Power: the Subpoena as a Political Weapon
• Dinesh D'Souza : The Prophet At Harvard
• Janice Shaw Crouse : Child Porn vs. Child Protection
• Mike S. Adams : Who is Davidson Myers?
• Mark Hillman : Udall's U-turn on oil exploration
• Star Parker : Pastor Warren's Politicized Pulpit A Mistake
• Terry Paulson : Talking About Race Doesn’t Make Anyone Racist
• Kevin McCullough : Above my Pay Grade?
• Austin Hill : Obama And The "Infanticide Issue"
• Guy Benson : Obama's Infanticide Disgrace
• Salena Zito : No Sinking Feeling About Hillary
• Debra J. Saunders : Pimps, Pedophiles: Welcome to S.F.
• George Will : Change We Must Confront
• John Hawkins : 25 Reasons You Might Be a Liberal

The Plot Against Liberal America

By Thomas Frank, The New Statesman

Democracy and Elections: Conservatives don't want to debate, they want to destroy their opposition.

Victims of the Drug War Are Forced to Resort to Bizarre Legal Defenses

Kevin Carey, Washington Monthly

DrugReporter: How black Baltimore drug dealers are using white supremacist legal theories to confound the Feds.


Meet the Economist Who Thinks We're Doomed

Stephen Mihm, The New York Times

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Dr. Nouriel Roubini believes we face a housing bust, a huge credit crisis, an oil shock and a deep recession. Just for starts.


At JFK Airport, Denying Basic Rights Is Just Another Day at the Office

Emily Feder, AlterNet

Rights and Liberties: I was recently stopped by Homeland Security as I was returning from a trip to Syria. What I saw in the hours that followed shocked and disturbed me.

Naomi Klein: China's Hi-Tech Surveillance State Is Ready for Export

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!

Rights and Liberties: With 300,000 security cameras in Beijing alone, China is at the forefront of the surveillance boom -- and U.S. corporations are reaping the profits.


Warrior John McCain: Far More Dangerous Than Bush

Steve Weissman, TruthOut.org

Election 2008: Caught up in his fear that military failure would encourage enemies, McCain can see no alternative to military victory, no matter what the cost.


House Passes First-Ever Comprehensive Tobacco Regulation Bill

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group

Health and Wellness: Smoking is an addiction, not a choice. The public has long known this. Finally, Congress is catching on.

How Wind Farms May Really Replace Coal Mining

Peter Slavin, AlterNet

Environment: One community is attempting to prove that clean energy can beat dirty power -- even in the heart of coal country.


The Real Elitist: Video of McCain's Collection of Mansions Reveal He's Not Your Average Joe

Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times

Election 2008: Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films teams up with the AFL-CIO and SEIU to make "McCain's Mansions: the Real Elitist."


Voting Machines Can Never Be Trusted, Says GOP Computer Security Expert

Velvet Revolution

Democracy and Elections: If a Democrat said what cyber-security expert Stephen Spoonamore is saying, he would be dismissed as a partisan conspiracy theorist.

How Do We Seize the Obama Moment?

By Robert L. Borosage, Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation

Election 2008: Obama will be the president we want him to be if we mobilize support on the progressive issues and ward off the influence of entrenched interests.

Russia's Return Bites the Neocons' Grand Energy Scheme in the Ass

James Howard Kunstler, Kunstler.com

ForeignPolicy: You have to ask what were they smoking over at the Pentagon and the CIA when they thought they could control Russia's close neighbor.


Media Mash: Crashing an Obama Book | CNN: Getting as Bad as Fox

The Masher, AlterNet

PEEK: A new book about Obama is a welcome antidote to anti-Obama propaganda, and CNN does the right's dirty work for them.


Dead Zone Diet: Why Fertilizers Are Taking Fish off the Menu

Kerry Trueman, Huffington Post

Water: Fertilizer runoff from industrial agriculture and fossil-fuel use are causing catastrophic "dead zones" in our oceans.

The Plot Against Liberal America

Thomas Frank, The New Statesman

Democracy and Elections: Conservatives don't want to debate, they want to destroy their opposition.


Naomi Klein: China's Hi-Tech Surveillance State Is Ready for Export

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!

Rights and Liberties: With 300,000 security cameras in Beijing alone, China is at the forefront of the surveillance boom -- and U.S. corporations are reaping the profits.


Warrior John McCain: Far More Dangerous Than Bush

Steve Weissman, TruthOut.org

Election 2008: Caught up in his fear that military failure would encourage enemies, McCain can see no alternative to military victory, no matter what the cost.

House Passes First-Ever Comprehensive Tobacco Regulation Bill

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group

Health and Wellness: Smoking is an addiction, not a choice. The public has long known this. Finally, Congress is catching on.


Victims of the Drug War Are Forced to Resort to Bizarre Legal Defenses

Kevin Carey, Washington Monthly

DrugReporter: How black Baltimore drug dealers are using white supremacist legal theories to confound the Feds.


Meet the Economist Who Thinks We're Doomed

Stephen Mihm, The New York Times

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Dr. Nouriel Roubini believes we face a housing bust, a huge credit crisis, an oil shock and a deep recession. Just for starts.

At JFK Airport, Denying Basic Rights Is Just Another Day at the Office

Emily Feder, AlterNet

Rights and Liberties: I was recently stopped by Homeland Security as I was returning from a trip to Syria. What I saw in the hours that followed shocked and disturbed me.


Killing of Aid Workers in Afghanistan Exposes the Dangers of Escalation

Ann Jones, AlterNet

ForeignPolicy: The murder of four humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan should temper talk about sending more troops there.

Georgia-Russian Conflict Great for U.S. Weapons Manufacturers

by dday, Hullabaloo - 4:29 AM

Which Candidate Will Get a 'Convention Bump?'

by Chris Bowers, Open Left - 4:14 AM

Gaps in McCain's Health Plan

by Kathleen Stoll, Stand Up for Health Care - 5:05 PM

Welcome to America, Soon-to-Be Land of the White Minority

by Roberto Lovato, Of America - 4:02 PM

The Education of John McCain - David Brooks, New York Times
Obama Sharpens the Message - Karen Tumulty, Time Magazine
Is the Tide Turning? - David Gergen, CNN
How the Dems Can Blow It In 6 Easy Steps - Michael Moore, Rolling Stone
An Election Like Any Other - David Harsanyi, Denver Post
McCain's Attacks on Obama Go Too Far - Jonathan Alter, Newsweek
Obama Lying About His Abortion Record - Rich Lowry, New York Post
It's No Longer Just About Hillary - Froma Harrop, Providence Journal
Is Bipartisanship Still Possible? - Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic
For Obama, Taxes Are About Fairness - William McGurn, Wall St. Journal
The New Evangelical Politics - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
Pelosi Spins and Smears on Drilling - William Murchison, RealClearPolitics
What Is Russia Afraid Of? - Anne Applebaum, Slate
Russia is Still a Hungry Empire - Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal
Beyond Musharraf - Ahmed Rashid, Washington Post
Can the Burmese People Rescue Themselves? - George Packer, New Yorker
Key to Happiness is Freedom Not Income - Roberto Foa, Financial Times
RCP Blog: The Morning Report / Politics Nation: Strategy Memo

Editorials
Musharraf's Departure is Critical Moment in War on Terror - USA Today
Russian Reassurances Don't Match Reality in Georgia - Washington Post
Ukraine: No Chicken Kiev - Investor's Business Daily
Bye Bye Musharraf - Financial Times

Political News & Analysis
Obama Ready to Announce Running Mate This Week - N.Y. Times
McCain to Name VP on August 29 - The Politico
Storm Upstages McCain, Obama - Miami Herald
Candidates Hone Messages in Convention Run-Up - Wall St. Journal

Transcripts & Speeches


McCain's Speech to the VFW Convention - John McCain
Interview with Secretary Rice - Fox News Sunday
Govs. Jindal and Kaine on "Meet the Press" - Meet the Press
Sen. Bayh & Gov. Pawlenty on "Face the Nation" (PDF) - Face the Nation
Interviews with Pres. Saakashvili, Sec. Gates - Late Edition

Best of the Blogs
VP Selection, Timing Critical to Momentum - Patrick Ruffini, Next Right
Don't Confuse Maureen Dowd with Facts - Taylor Marsh
Moving to a Clean Energy Future - Sen. Harry Reid, HuffPo
What Sullivan, Netroots Don't Get - Dan Riehl, Riehl World View
Michael Goldfarb's +7 Rapier - John Cole, Balloon Juice

It's His Party
Dana Goldstein and Ezra Klein
August 18, 2008
From our September issue:
Barack Obama might be running on a post-partisan platform, but he is more focused on building the Democratic Party than any other candidate in recent history. With the help of Howard Dean, Obama is building the national party Democrats have dreamed of for decades.

Also: Dylan Matthews on the 15 Obama staffers you should know.

Barack Obama talks with Howard Dean. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The group blog of The American Prospect
Obama back in the Saddle[/color]
Posted at 12:29 p.m.



A respectable liberal blog
The rich define the rich
Posted at 12:13 p.m.


Dean Baker's economic commentary
[color="#800000"]U.S. leads export growth
Posted at 4:45 a.m.