This is the first time in two decades that I was absent as a reporter covering both the Iowa Straw Poll and the Iowa Caucuses. Contemplating this issue over the last month, I have to admit to some moment of painful twangs of nostalgia and yearning. Over the last ten days, however, I must say [...]

This is where I part company with at least one group of folks claiming to be part of the Occupy movement: the senseless and distasteful idea of  “occupying” Iowa campaign offices.  There have already been some scattered arrests but I don’t think this part of the “movement” is going to go very far because it [...]

I first met Christopher Hitchens when we were both in our early 30′s  in the early 1980′s. Together we produced a day of fundraising for The Nation magazine on the local Pacifica station, I think it was in late 1981, and over the next three decades we remained as friends –  and as colleagues when [...]

There’s something about American politics and the way it plays out that is downright befuddling. Or, better said, aggravating. Maybe “insane” is a better descriptor. As you have probably heard, the big news story coming out of the recent GOP presidential debate is that Mitt Romney offered to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry [...]

The rise of Newt Gingrich as a very possible and I would say probable nominee of the Republican Party tells us many things. In a sentence: just about everything we’ve been spoon fed about and by the Republican Party over the last three years is little more than one heaping, steaming pile of shit. It [...]

A Chilean judge has indicted the former U.S. military group leader in his country for being linked to the murder of two Americans in the days immediately after the 1973 coup.  I am VERY pleased to say that the official indictment and request to extradite retired U.S. Navy Captain Ray Davis cites testimony I gave [...]

Too busy working to blog. Here’s a great Storify aggregate from Neon Tommy co-editor Paresh Dave. View the story “Occupy L.A. Shut Down” on Storify]

The end seems to be near for the Los Angeles leg of the Occupy movement.  On late Friday afternoon, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, flanked by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, told the press that the encampment around City Hall must be taken down by Sunday midnight or the LAPD will take over the task, To be fair, [...]

Ok, so a few inquiring minds want to know what I think of OWS? Answer: A lot of things. That some Americans have finally woken up to the fact that we are living through the most radical transfer of wealth upward in history is a very, very good thing.  That some people are willing to [...]

I have to admit that I didn’t watch Tuesday night’s Republican debate for several reasons. First and foremost, I saw no valid political reason as I already know what ALL the GOP candidates think about foreign policy and national security and they all think exactly the same (except of course for Ron Paul who like [...]

This is really unwittingly silly stuff from the august BBC where John Gray writes an editorial concluding that while Marx was wrong about communism he was right about capitalism — it’s failing. All I can say is: Duh. The MSM  has always treated socialism (or anti-capitalism) as some sort of aberration and tinker-toy affliction and [...]

   Since its inception, this Saturday’s Iowa Straw Poll is the first one ever I failed to attend. And it would have been easy for me.  I was speaking at a J-conference in St. Louis Friday morning and I easily could have flown or even driven over to Ames.  But what the hell for? It [...]

The final results are not all in but the decision appears to be cast.  Democrats have come up one seat short of winning back the state senate in Wisconsin. As of late Tuesday night, it appears that the GOP will hold on to four seats and the Dems will take back two. They needed three [...]

I guess we no longer have to speculate how the Almighty Market will react to the recent credit downgrade. Let me clearly state that I am NOT an economist, thank heavens, but this was not hard to see coming. Indeed, even though I am someone who started saving relatively late in life and I was, [...]

Here’s some video from The Great Rick Perry Texas Fundamentalist Prayer Rally on Saturday. These people desperately need some sort of hobby — or some very strong medication.  In the meantime, I respectfully ask them to stop praying for me. Send cash instead! Let’s start with the notion that ONLY Christianity is a valid religion. [...]

It could be a very interesting morning on Monday.  We will find out if the S&P downgrade was already priced into the Thursday crash of the Dow …or…if we can fall another 500 points or so by noon.  Aww, that mysterious market that rules our lives and dwells at the center of our civic religion [...]

Sorry but true. The overwhelming percentage of Americans relate to politics the same way hotel guests relate to room service (not an original thought. Lewis Lapham came up with it about 20 years ago in an essay I can’t find).  We vote for politicians the same way we choose a hotel room and then we [...]

The rhetoric and framing of the debt deal is much worse than it’s already objectionable content. The actual cuts made to social programs are very small and the cuts made in defense, while also small, are somewhat larger than expected. What’s noxious is that the Republicans got their way in forcing a manufactured crisis and [...]

Having grown up on the Left, I am acutely aware how certain misleading lingo can become reified and cemented into socially acceptable discourse.  Get a room full of radicals together and they will blithely substitute the word, “Imperialism,” for the more common nouns of United States.  Example: “Imperialism has intervened in Afghanistan because it wants [...]

This article on the politics of the debt crisis in Politico tells you everything that is wrong, everything that is blind, everything that is STUPID about conventional Beltway reporting. Glenn Thrush is no dummy and there is some authentically good reporting here. And at least one of the premises of the piece should be admired: [...]