By Mande Wilkes || The United States' national security is under imminent threat, according to top intelligence officials, with an attack attempt "certain" within the next six months. From the Wall Street Journal: Al Qaeda remains a significant threat to the U.S., the officials said, and the group's
Read story »Ronald Reagan: The First RINO
By Mande Wilkes || As the two major political parties have continued to merge in practice if not in ideology itself, Ronald Reagan has crystallized into Republican exemplar extraordinaire. The former U.S. president has, in the decades since he left office, cemented into the very symbol of conservatism. Just
Read story »This Is NOT What We Mean By “School Choice”
By Mande Wilkes || Barely a month into this semester, it's already just about time for college students to register for next fall's classes. Within the scope of "liberal arts" curricula, the choices are boundless. Students can choose from among courses like "Macroeconomics & The Sex Industry," "Dialect
Read story »Lady Gaga: On … Our …Toes
By Mande Wilkes || Yes, this is our obligatory Lady-Gaga-does-the-Grammys post. Predictable, indeed. She's a showstopper, and anyway it's not like we've got anything else to say about the 2010 Grammy Awards. We tuned in solely for the Lady's performance, and, occurring as it did within the first ten
Read story »9/11 Terrorists: Try ‘Em In Iraq
By Mande Wilkes || Apparently more concerned with gesture than with justice, a handful of officials are seeking a change of venue for the 9/11 terrorist trials. September 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists – all of them Guantanamo detainees – are set to stand
Read story »Tea Party: Dead On Arrival?
By Mande Wilkes || The emerging Tea Party – which bills itself as the nation’s answer to bipartisan fiscal irresponsibility – is spending itself into turmoil. It's the coming-out convention itself that's threatening to upend the Party. Just days before the convention, Tea Party organizers and
Read story »Massachusetts: It’s The Independents, Stupid!
By Mande Wilkes || One of eleven states in which independents outnumber Democrats or Republicans, Massachusetts is hardly the liberal haven it is reputed to be. In fact, with more registered independents than registered Democrats and Republicans combined, "uncommitted" is the most accurate description
Read story »Scott Brown: GOP Angel Was A Centerfold
By Mande Wilkes || Just the sort of thing I’m going to have to answer for when I’m a politician, Scott Brown’s centerfold days have come back to haunt him. Brown – the Republican candidate who is expected today to win the Massachusetts Senate held by the late Ted Kennedy – once posed provocatively
Read story »Mande: Statehood For Haiti
By Mande Wilkes || Destroyed this week by a massive earthquake, shell-shocked Haiti has found salvation in American goodwill. In addition to Barack Obama’s $100 million pledge, U.S. corporations and citizens also continue to commit extraordinary resources to relief efforts. A testament to our humanitarian
Read story »Dear Ben Nelson …
By Mande Wilkes | Dear Ben Nelson: Stop the showboating, Senator Nelson. To hell with the will of the party leadership, to hell with the marathon negotiating sessions, and to hell with maneuverability and leverage. Take a red-eye out of Washington, and go home to Nebraska to convene a spur-of-the-moment
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