166 Articles

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Drifting Toward Catastrophe: A Seven-Headed Beast
The temptation is great to stick to the minor, more gossipy items in the political news. The Larger Issues (here are seven) are damn difficult to deal with. Are there political leaders ready to take them seriously? Or do we continue slouching toward a kind of national suicide?

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Behind the Veils of Power: Hope for Progressives
(1 comments) There is citizen rage roiling in the polity based on what we've all witnessed in the past few years as the Veils of Power have been lifted. Are we progressives finally going to organize ourselves and help shape that citizen anger? Or, out of ennui or fear or laziness, do we cede the battleground to the extremist right?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Peek Inside Sarah Palin's Diary
The Republican contender lets down her hair in her journal, revealing her political ambition, her plans for how she'll take down Obama in the 2012 debates, and how she intends to ride God and "real Americans" all the way into the Oval Office.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Self-Destruction of Barack Obama
(1 comments) President Obama has lost his 2012 bid for re-election. He has made key decisions in three areas that could well guarantee a GOP victory: an embarrassingly rolled-out, badly-compromised health care reform bill; his continuing slavish subservience to those on Wall Street that took the country into the economic toilet; and his sad imitation of CheneyBush's imperial campaign in Afghanistan.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
"Shallow Throat": Is Obama Turning Into Bush Lite?
(3 comments) The Republican mole, a high-placed Washington insider, delivers some unsettling revelations about Obama, the Democratic and GOP leadership, and muses about the possibility of a big-tent populist third party.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
"Angler": The Rise and (Finally!) Fall of Dick Cheney
(6 comments) Here's the Pulitzer Prize-winning inside view of how Cheney wound up running his own personal government inside the Bush Administration. It's a scary tale of unparalleled duplicity, hunger for power, idelogical fanaticism. For many years to come, we will be dealing with the ruinous results of his stranglehold on the levers of federal power.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Why the GOP Is Going Down While Seeming to Go Up
The minority Republicans can still effect major political damage. Obama and the Democrats can start to change all that by using their electoral mandate to really fight for genuine reforms -- but will they? That will depend largely on whether progressives choose to use their considerable clout and join the bare-knuckles battle.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"Shallow Throat" on Obama and GOP Obstructionism
(1 comments) The former mole inside the Bush Administration uncorks some insights into Obama's early days in power, how the minority Republicans are flailing about recklessly as they try to gain some political traction, and what dangers lie ahead for the damaged U.S. political/economic system.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Obama and Gaza: Exiting the Vortex of Violence
(7 comments) The never-ceasing war between Israelis and Palestinians speaks both to a kind of political mental-illness and to a failure of will and creative imagination on a grand regional and global scale. But, if the desire of peace can be enlarged, there are ways out of the maelstrom of slaughter

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Great Trauma As a Great Teacher: Peering Into the New Year
(1 comments) Yes, depressions -- psychological, economic -- are painful beyond description. But if you can survive the trauma, major growth is possible, and systemic changes can be put into place. Can Obama take advantage of the opportunities offered him in this crisis situation to become the president of major, required change? Probably only if we push him to do so.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Moral Imperative to Change "The System"
(16 comments) The corrupt, rigged "System," as was the case in the tumultuous 1960s, is in need of a radical shakeup. Even the overwhelming victory of Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress may not be enough to effect that change. That part of the equation is up to us, the citizenry, to ratchet up the progressive pressure and make sure it happens.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
For the GOP, the Economic Meltdown May Have Happened Just a Wee Bit Early
(5 comments) The financial meltdown blew up in the Republicans' faces, but maybe it was a case, metaphorically speaking, of the bomb going off early in the hands of the bomb maker. Couldn't have happened to a nicer group of people. Maybe something can get done now.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
When a Country Gets Lost -- And Finds Its Way Back
After eight years in the dark shadow world of HardRight ideology and incompetence, with Barack Obama America is moving once again back into the light. Progress likely will be two steps forward, one step back (or vice versa). So how, and when, should progressives oppose Obama initiatives, especially in foreign/military policy?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Getting Through the Coming Depression
(13 comments) Recession doesn't even begin to describe where the U.S. and global economies are going. We have to recognize that likelihood and take steps now to build the social infrastructure that will help carry us all through the coming Depression. It ain't gonna be easy, but, if we do it right, our generation will be able to look back and feel proud of our efforts to help everybody rise out of the economic swamp.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Progressives Have Leverage NOW: Use It Or Lose It
(5 comments) Obama needs the progressive Democratic wing of the party, and we need him. He's being pulled by the forces on the right to govern at least from the center, and he may be tempted to do so to get his bills through the Senate. Here are five key areas where progressives need to pull him leftward. Remember: It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Approaching the Finishing Line: Hope and Passion in Nevada
My fellow volunteers canvassing for Obama in Nevada, like me, were guardedly optimistic but wary about Obama's chances in that state and nationally: We'd all been badly Roved before. So we kept trudging and knocking on doors. Being inside "the ground game" is exhilarating, enervating, saddening, hope-inducing. It's the messy glory that is democracy.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
This Election Could Transform the Country, the GOP, and Capitalism
(4 comments) If Obama wins, as seems likely, the blood-letting civil war in the Republican Party between the pragmatists and the extreme wingnuts, barely contained now, will lead to a very public night of the long knives. Similarly, free-market capitalists will be doing battle with their new semi-"socialist" GOP cousins. It's the new world order, baby.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A 10-Point Primer for Wavering Voters
(1 comments) Looking for some cogent arguments to convince those still on the fence to vote for Obama? Here are ten such reasons, covering the financial meltdown, women's rights, torture, domestic spying and civil liberties, vice presidential nominees, etc. Feel free to pass on this list to others.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Foundational Dry-Rot the Work of Greedy GOP Termites
(1 comments) Those political/financial systems that ignore reality don't last all that long. Laissez-faire capitalism, as engineered under Republican deregulationist theory, could well undergo deep transformations as a result of its worst excesses in our current economic crisis. It's about time.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Peeks Into the Diaries of the Candidates and Hank Paulson
What politicians write in their private journals is far closer to the truth than what they say in public. So let's see what McCain, Obama, Palin and Biden have to say about the campaign and what their chances are for success. Bonus: Czar Hank confesses in his diary to some doubts about his own bailout plan.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Political Jabs, Sarah Sinking, and the Bailout Opera
What a week! McCain goes politically berserk, Palin's debate-prepping goes "disastrous," the first presidential debate goes optical, and the Democrats were the ones pushing hardest to bail out failing Wall Street investment houses. Here are some explanations.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
European Friends Write: "Are You Americans Crazy?"
(5 comments) Just like Americans, many Europeans are thoroughly puzzled by the political and financial events of the past several days, where Republicans turn into nationalizing-industry socialists and many Democrats wind up in Bush's economic-policy corner. How'd we get to this strange place? Here are some answers.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Inside Rove's Diary: The "Magic" of Presidential Street-Fighting
(1 comments) Karl Rove, the "Boy Genius" architect of Republican power, has a few eye-opening things to say to his diary about George W. Bush, John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Sarah Palin, the Big Lie technique, the art of political prestidigitation, and how to fight dirty in the partisan trenches and steal elections. Right now, he's one happy, if nervous, fella.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Twenty-Six Things We Now Know Seven Years After 9/11
(8 comments) Here's an updated list that documents how Bush&Co. have used the tragedy of 9/11 for their own nefarious ends, and how much we still don't know, even seven years out. It's not a pretty picture, but it should stiffen the spine of anyone who loves this country to fight even harder to change the system from the top-down and from the bottom-up.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Violating Someone's "Sphere of Influence" Can Be Dangerous
(1 comments) Major nations react angrily when their perceived "sphere of influence" is violated. GOP and Dem leaders are behaving recklessly with their red-hot comments about Russian behavior in the Caucasus. Regional history needs to be understood, and the tone of discourse needs to be toned down before a renewed Cold War morphs into a hot one.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
"Shallow Throat": McCain Is a "Catastrophe Waiting to Happen"
(2 comments) The high-ranking GOP mole in the Bush Administration -- appalled at his party's extremist nominee -- explains how the Democrats can win the presidency, but it's going to require a LOT of hard work. If the Dems don't organize well on the ground, McCain becomes Bush's third-term.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Lies and Criminality About Justice Department and Georgia -- "So?"
(3 comments) The aggressive, in-your-face tactics of the CheneyBush Administration are evident with regard both to excusing law-breaking in the DoJ, and in how it's trying to gin up a new neo-con, oil-related confrontation with Russia over the South Ossieta region of Georgia. Dangerous and scary.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Letter to Democrats Abroad: The Weird Presidential Race at Midsummer
The Dems are going to sweep the Congressional elections, 80% of the electorate thinks the U.S. is "on the wrong track" and 60% want the Iraq War & Occupation over with ASAP. The presidential race shouldn't be this close, but it is. Here are some explanations for why.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
McCain's Painful Dilemma: Iraq as Vietnam 2.0
Events in Iraq and in the presidential race at home are whip-sawing poor John McCain back and forth as he's forced to change positions on a dime and make his conversion seem believable. He believes Iraq is like Vietnam and if you just keep plowing on you'll achieve eventual victory. McCain was wrong then, and political realities demonstrate that he's wrong now.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Inside Bush's Diary: Lame Ducks & Lame Dems
What does the country's most unpopular resident in the White House do while he's waiting to exit the place? Take a peek into his journal and you'll see how he's obsessed with escaping jail time, punishing his political enemies, marveling at the wimpiness of the Democrats, and searching for some, ANY, positive legacy.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Coming Attack on Iran: A Perfect Storm of Madness
(13 comments) It sure looks like it's a go. Cheney will get his war. And all hell will break loose as Bush and Cheney make a move on their "legacy": democracy and free-market capitalism lighting up the Greater Middle East. But who will drop the bombs, and when?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Homage to I.F. Stone: Secrets & Lies
(3 comments) By reading the news carefully, one can make educated guesses as to why Martin Luther King Jr.'s statue is smiling, why the Democrats caved on Iraq war-funding, why the Dems (and most notably) Obama gave CheneyBush everything they wanted on the domestic-spying FISA bill. It ain't a pretty picture.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Increasing Signs of GOP Desperation
(2 comments) The Republicans seem devoid of inspiration and vision as November approaches, and so are reverting to the only thing they know how to do: distract, avoid the finger of blame, spread nasty rumors and lies, dispense fright on a regular basis, question their opponents' patriotism. That routine got tired and old long ago, so there's hope.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Bush's Testimony Before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(1 comments) Dubya tries to escape the noose of criminal accountability by (sort-of) admitting his culpability in a wide variety of misdeeds, lies and corruptions. The T&R commissioners, for some strange reason, are suspicious about his sincerity and veracity. A tense time was had by all.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Sidney Pollack, Scott McClellan, and the Wars for Oil
(1 comments) How the film director's "Three Days of the Condor" and McLellan's insider memoir of duplicity in the White House, merge at the vector point of oil politics, especially with regard to the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Bush At His Shrink: The Lame-Duck Session
(1 comments) In his last months in office, Bush (safe in the doctor/patient relationship) reveals his frustrations, fears and fantasies. And his speculations about how America's political future might unfold if McCain were to capture the White House, or if Obama or Clinton were to win.  

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dumpster-Diving for GOP Quotes (And Their Hidden Meanings)
(1 comments) Quotations from the Bush&Co. playbook contain many subtextual truths hidden from public view. That's why paying close attention to the remarks made by Republican leaders is so important, and can help us deflect the propaganda as we get closer to November 2008.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
"Shock Doctrine" Spin in U.S., Burma and Beyond
(3 comments) How the Bush Administration deceived us into invading Iraq, how the Burmese junta is delaying the delivery of aid to its devastated citizens, how resource-shortages abroad are being exploited by multinational corporations -- all these resonate with Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" and "disaster capitalism" theses.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
"What's With Your 'Crazy' U.S Politics?" -- A Letter to European Friends
Making sense of the wild dance that is presidential politics isn't easy. There's so much ambition, mendacity, hypocrisy, moral corruption, sucking-up, saber-rattling, etc. on exhibit every day. So let's look at McCain, Clinton and Obama and see where we are six months from Election Day 2008.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Impeachment Now or Apocalypse Later?
(5 comments) More high crimes and misdemeanors have come to light in recent weeks. Not to impeach will encourage future presidents to simply ignore the rule of law. If McCain is elected to carry the CheneyBush agenda forward, say goodbye to the last vestiges of democracy and reality-based foreign policy -- and hello to more reckless wars.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine": Corporatism in Extremis
(6 comments) According to author Naomi Klein, we live in a corporatist economic/political world that gorges itself on catastrophe ("disaster capitalism") and on traumatizing entire cultures and subcultures into submission ("Shock&Awe"). It's the national-security police state at home and imperial misadventurer abroad. Klein offers suggestions on how to confront and defeat this beast.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Things That Go Bump In My Night
(6 comments) Do you have fears about what CheneyBush might pull off in their remaining time in office? Here are ten truly nightmarish scenarios that aren't all that far from happening. Read 'em, weep, and then activate your oppositional muscles.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Western Fable: Waist-Deep in the Big Muddy (Again)
In the Wild West, a greedy, arrogant land baron decides to grab his neighbor's cattle and grazing range, and uses lies and deceptions in his pre-emptive attack. It's not the cakewalk he thought it would be and six years later, he's stuck good. What to do now?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Peace May Be Possible in the Post-Bush Middle East
(2 comments) The age-old slaughter in Northern Ireland seemed impossible of settlement, but now peace reigns. Will the next U.S. President seize the opportunity to try a similar approach in the Middle East? Here's how the Americans, Israelis and Palestinians could make it happen.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Better Buckle Up! -- CheneyBush's Final 10 Months
(4 comments)  The Administration doesn't even try to hide its distaste for democratic institutions anymore. The Democrats won't impeach, so, for CheneyBush, it's full steam ahead with their wrecking-crew policies and foreign adventurism. It's going to be a longggggggggg time until January 2009.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Beyond CheneyBush: A Realistic (Cynical?) View of Change
(1 comments) Supposing that Clinton or Obama were to defeat McCain in November, how optimistic should we be that huge changes will, or can, take place after the departure of the Cheney and Bush wrecking crew? Will we despair if not all that much gets done? What then?

Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"Shallow Throat" Sizes Up the Dem/GOP Candidates
The Republican Mole in the Bush Administration has some harsh things to say about Clinton and Obama, but even nastier opinions of McCain and Romney. In short, the traditional conservative is planning on voting Democratic in November. Will progressive Democrats do likewise?

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Sputtering But Still Dangerous CheneyBush Juggernaut
"CheneyBush remind me of huge rampaging monsters, countless arrows sticking out of their bleeding wounds but still able to thrash about and wreak great damage. They're lame ducks, weakened politically but angry, highly motivated and out for revenge and vindication." Given this dire situation, how should progressives confront this out-of-control pair?

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
On Running Mates & Other Election Matters
(3 comments)  It would appear to be a two-person race in both the Democratic and Republican Parties. But, assuming it's Clinton or Obama, and McCain or Romney, who should be their running mates? Also, even more curious anomalies revealed from the New Hampshire primary, currently in recount mode.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New Hampshire: U.S. Elections Still in SNAFU Mode
(1 comments) We still have a corruptible, slipshod voting system in the U.S. There are enough electoral anomalies in the New Hampshire primary, for example, to justify a recount of all scanned ballots. Just hand-count the damn votes and settle the matter.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Two Roads Diverging in 2008: Which Way Will We Go?
(2 comments)  One path leads to a restoration of Constitutional rule, the other to authoritarian militarism and repression. What can we learn from these scenarios, and from what the Iowa results tell us? Turns out: a heck of a lot.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
George's Christmas Carol
(1 comments) George meets the Three Ghosts of Christmas and his old partner-in-(war)-crime, Umsfeld. Will Bob Cratchit get a raise? Will Tiny Tim get his operation? George is given a chance to redeem his soul -- will he take it? Dickens for our time.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bush's Nuclear-Boogeyman Scam
(1 comments) CheneyBush were on track to attack Iran by pulling the same nuclear-fear scam that worked for them in getting the U.S. into Iraq. But powerful forces of rebellion within the Administration foiled them. Or did it? CheneyBush remain determined to bomb Iran's military/scientific infrastructure.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Annapolis & "The Surge": Spinning a Legacy
(2 comments) The "surge" in Iraq and what took place at the recent Annapolis conference is a reflection of Bush's world of fantasy and spin. This delusional state yields reckless, dangerous policies, for America, the Middle East, the world.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007
CheneyBush Burned Again: Too Near the Plame
(1 comments) Scott McClellan's revelation that Bush and Cheney were involved in the coverup of the Plamegate scandal suggests that they (along with others) should be hauled before Congress and a grand jury to determine their criminal and impeachment liability.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Robert Redford, Julie Taymor: America At War
Two current Hollywood films reveal much about Americans' attitudes toward the social/political times we are in, especially about the Iraq war. One movie works brilliantly, the other stumbles in its own good intentions.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Perversions of Power
(1 comments) Lord Acton's famous dictum -- "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" -- is useful in examining the CheneyBush Administration, Democratic Party leaders, and Musharraf's recent imposition of martial law in Pakistan.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Incremental Steps to "The Revolution"
(12 comments) How should progressives behave until that day when peace & justice prevails in a new America? Maybe we have to learn patience, keep taking small steps at first, then longer strides until we get to the tipping point where we find ourselves racing toward that achievable goal on the horizon.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A "Two-Headed Party," and the Power of a Dime
(14 comments) Do we really have a functioning two-party system in this country or it an oligarchical scam? Either way, a thin dime can still make the difference between authoritarianism and some semblance of democracy.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
But WHY Are Our Dem Leaders Such Timid Wimps?
(5 comments) Let's try to figure out the genesis for the constant caving of Democratic Party leaders to the agenda, framing, and policies of the CheneyBush Administration. It's a lot more complex than it first appears -- and it's not a pretty picture.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Will Dems Commit Political Suicide in '08?: An Address to Democrats Abroad
(5 comments) Democrats who live and work abroad tend to mirror the concerns and frustrations of the activist Dem base back home perplexed by the party's overly-timid leadership in confronting the worst policies of CheneyBush. And what about the chances of Hillary and Obama and Edwards -- and Al Gore?

Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Looking to the 2008 Election: Confusion, Anger, Hope
(2 comments) The 2008 election could be a turning point in the alignment of the Democratic and Republican parties, both of which have huge segments in the rebellious mode. The political implications are staggering.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Bush At His Shrink: The Nightmares Continue
(1 comments) Confused and frightened by a scary dream, Bush tries to get some understanding so he can weather his final year-and-a-half in office. The question is: Is he capable of dealing with his "issues"? See for yourself.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Twenty-Two Things We Now Know Six Years After 9/11
(6 comments) The annual survey demonstrates how that tragic day has been used and abused by Bush&Co. over the past six years. It ain't a pretty picture; no wonder so many citizens are appalled and angry and want to take it out on the Republicans -- and Democrats.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
CheneyBush's "Mercenary" Legions
(2 comments) Authoritarian rulers with private armies and spies, as history has shown, are dangerous to democracy. That's where America is at this juncture, and we're going to have to battle fiercely to claw our way back to some sort of governmental sanity and balance.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bush Bunker Crew's Legacy: "Dangerous Losers"
(2 comments) The few true believers left in the CheneyBush Administration are hunkered down in the White House bunker; they may have control of many levers of power, however the public has seen through these thugs, and impeachment, and criminal cases, may well loom ahead. But only if the public makes it happen.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A News Quiz: Real or Fake?
Take this quick quiz and see if you can distinguish between faux news reporting and the actual thing. If you get more than eight answers right (or even if you don't), you can click to see a copy of Bush's famous one-finger-salute to the nation.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Rove's Diary: Just Try to Stop Me, Coppers!
(3 comments) "Since the Democrats don't have the balls to impeach us, or cut off funding for the Iraq War, that means they're still scared and therefore easily rollable. They're terrified of what we would do to them in the 2008 election ('unpatriotic,' 'soft on terrorism') if they challenged us frontally like that. Of course, we're going to do that to them anyway."

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Do You Get It NOW?
True conservatives and independents are finally understanding that there will be no hope for peace in the Greater Middle East (and thus a diminution in anti-U.S. terrorism), and no hope for a restoration of Constitutional rule, until the CheneyBush Administration is impeached and removed from power. And a political stake driven through their hearts, just to make sure.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Inside Bush's "Surge" Diary: Slip-Slidin' Away
The Decider reveals in his journal why he's so upset, and how he and his crew down in the White House bunker envision surviving the rest of this lame-duck term. It ain't going to be easy, but Bush is prepared for the fight of his life -- to avoid impeachment and time in the federal slammer.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Impeaching the Shadow Master
Cheney is the locus of virtually all that has gone, and is going, wrong in this Administration. He cannot be permitted to wreak his havoc for the next year and a half. Here's why his removal is vital to the survival of our democratic republic.

Saturday, July 7, 2007
National-Security Breaches: Time for Impeachment
(4 comments) The key to impeachment is to keep it simple and focused on how the CheneyBush Administration is endangering our national-security and thus violating their oath to "protect and defend" this country and its Constitution. Here's a rundown of the bill of particulars.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Post-CheneyBush "Restoration"
(4 comments) An award-winning historian in 2034 reveals that ending Iraq war-funding and establishing an impeachment panel were instrumental in getting to the "Restoration" era, the post-CheneyBush period when the rule of law and a sane, realistic foreign policy were re-established.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Dems' Timidity May Cost Them Dearly in 2008
(11 comments) The Democrats are ceding the moral high ground by not doing what the voters elected them to do: end the war, stop the corruption, fix the electoral system, save the Constitution. But it's not too late for major changes that will help solve many of this country's problems.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Bush Scandals: It's the Politics, Stupid
(1 comments) Rove's politics workshop is where many of the CheneyBush Administration's reckless and disastrous policies emanate. Everything from Iraq strategy to firing U.S. Attorneys is hatched there. Take a peek.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007
"Shallow Throat": Dems' Cave-In Is Truly Scary
(1 comments) The high-ranking GOP mole says CheneyBush are gloating at the Democrats' appalling strategic mistake in voting to re-fund the Iraq War. But there are things the Dems can do to resurrect their anti-war, pro-democracy bone fides.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Thuggery In Iraq & In a Hospital Room
The strong-arm tactics in Ashcroft's hospital room shouldn't surprise anyone -- for the past six years, the Bush Bunker crew has demonstrated that it will take what it wants when it wants. Ask the citizens of Iraq.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Roots of Disaster: Impeachment As Remedy
(1 comments) Here's the historical roadmap for how the U.S. wound up in Disasterville in Iraq. CheneyBush won't relent in their policies, their coverups, their corruptions. Impeachment is the only available remedy to restore sanity abroad and respect for constitutional law at home.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
A Meditation on the Building of Walls
Good fences make good neighbors, but walls can be individually and societally dangerous. Especially when they separate you from reality -- and from your heart's best instincts. And that's why impeachment is so absolutely necessary, ASAP

Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Diving Deeper Into the Muck of Bush Scandals
(2 comments) Arrogance, ignorance, mule-headedness, incompetence -- everything the Busheviks touch fails because of these traits. You can see it most clearly right now in the Administration's Iraq policy and in the U.S Attorneys scandal.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Inside Alberto Gonzales' Diary: My Dementia Defense
(3 comments) OK, I was willing to take the fall for Rove and Bush, but playing the demented fool was painful. Still, even though the Senators thought my testimony regrettably deficient, I think I avoided the federal slammer and unemployment line.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Noose Tightens on the Bush Bunker Crew
Bush, Cheney, Rove and Gonzales have painted themselves into an increasingly tiny political/legal corner. Can they escape? Only if the Democrats ease up their pressure.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Revealing Quotes from "Loyal Bushie" Land
(2 comments) Here are some delicious quotes from John Bolton, Alberto Gonzales, George W. Bush and John McCain -- remarks that unwittingly reveal the awful truths of the HardRightists' constricted, dangerous view of the world.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007
"Shallow Throat": Playing Chicken on the Big Stage
(2 comments) The high-ranking GOP mole discusses the dangerous domestic and international attack-strategy that animates the cornered, wounded CheneyBush administration. We're talking Iraq, Iran and U.S. Attorneys here. Beware of lame ducks with howitzers.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The Iraq Debacle & Abu Gonzo
Here's a conversation with yet another traditional conservative in the military, infuriated at what Bush&Col. have done to America's reputation abroad as a result of the Iraq war. Plus how Alberto Gonzales, he of the likely perjury problem, is part and parcel of that reckless war effort.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
FBI Lawlessness: "If You Build It, They Will Come"
Many are "shocked, shocked!" to learn that the FBI broke all kinds of laws in their surveillance of U.S. citizens. But there are plenty of good-news stories to balance out the CheneyBush crimes and bunglings. And thus hope is renewed.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007
"Imperial Life in the Emerald City": Origins of the Iraq Disaster
Taking the U.S. into war with Iraq was disastrous, of course, but the Occupation errors made every day after that just added to the growth of the insurgency. Washington Post reporter Rajiv Chandrasekaran lays out the gruesome details

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Cheney Is Recklessly "Bob"-ing Iraq and Iran
How can anyone take seriously anything Cheney says on Iraq, since he's invariably and dangerously wrong? Now he's trying the same routine with regard to Iran. His policy guarantees a regional train wreck waiting to happen.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Deja Vu All Over Again: Quagmire Alert
Activist veterans, remembering Vietnam, are watching a kind of depressing re-run as CheneyBush prepare to take the U.S. into war#3 in the Middle East by bombing Iran. Dissent and creative opposition could change the outcome this time

Wednesday, February 14, 2007
On the Lip of the Vortex: Surging to Disaster
(2 comments) Even if Bush's military "surge" were to work, there is no complementary political "surge," no Plan B. Relying solely on military force is a sure way to catastrophe, especially when it's clear that the U.S. may bomb Iran shortly. Time to ratchet up dissent.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007
In the Land of Our (Founding) Fathers
Standing in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the birthplace of America's democratic republic, reminds one of how the Bush Administration has systematically destroyed so much of what is best about our system of government.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
GOP Elders Take That Long Walk to the White House: Transcript
(2 comments) GOP leaders are terrified that CheneyBush's surge plan will doom the party to minority status for a long, long time. Extreme action must be taken. Here's the transcript of that tense Oval Office conversation.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Ten Things Learned Since Dems' Election Victory
(2 comments) Yes, the Democrats in Congress deserve praise for how they've conducted themselves in their first few weeks in power, but their political choices and timidity also cry out for thoughtful, critical examination. Not everything is coming up roses.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Dick Cheney's "Modest Proposal" to Round Up More Troops (Satire)
(1 comments) Cheney, always devilishly clever, has devised an ingenious scheme to help provide the military with a never-ending supply of docile troops for Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, you name it.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Surging Towards Bethlehem: How to Stop the Madness
(1 comments) "In the Vietnam-War era, we had a devil of a time trying to get the Democratic Party to recognize the necessity for withdrawing our troops from that ill-advised, unwinnable war. With regard to Bush's misadventure in Iraq, it turns out not all that much has changed."

Thursday, December 28, 2006
"Shallow Throat": Don't Let Dems Drink Bush's Iraq Kool-Aid
"Shallow Throat," the high-ranking GOP mole in the Bush Administration, was gleeful in talking about the doom&gloom infecting the White House. But there was also a dire warning for the Democrats not to get suckered into supporting the "surge" plan.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Santa: Please Grant Us These Wishes
What worldwide joy Santa could spread if he and his merry elves were to grant these dozen political wishes on Christmas Day. Don't forget to put out cookies and a glass of milk under your tree.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Exiting the Rat-Hole: Iraq & CheneyBush
"This isn't even a lame-duck presidency. It's on artificial life-support and there is no guarantee it can last through the next two years without infecting the entire body politic with its dangerous dementia. It may be time for the powers-that-be in the Republican party elite to contact political hospice."

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Who Brought Us to the Iraq Abyss?
(4 comments) As usual, Bush attempts to shift the topic from how he got the U.S. into this horrific situation, and continues staying the course in hopes of a miracle "victory." Here are some reasons why, unless the Democrats stop him, he may take us all down with him.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Chestnuts Roasting In An Iraqi Fire (A Fantasia)
Bush, Rove, Cheney and Rummy lay out the roots of their Iraq war-strategy -- a year or more before the U.S. invasion. Why couldn't more folks see what was coming then? And what is coming now?

Wednesday, November 22, 2006
The Limits of Euphoria in a Political Dogfight
Progressives, as happy as we are at the midterm election returns, better dig in for a hard, slogging struggle for the next two years. The CheneyBush crew are not giving an inch in their extremist agenda. This is going to be a bare-knuckles political brawl.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Bush's Post-Election Session With His Shrink
Bush is in a mental turmoil. He wants to be true to his stay-the-course attitude, but he also desires a positive legacy to his presidency. What to do? Watch him squirm.

Friday, November 10, 2006
The Perfect Storm of Citizen Revulsion
(3 comments) Here are ten conclusions about the midterm election results. It's time for celebration, to be sure, but time to be extremely wary. Rove is down but he's not out, and the Administration still controls the levers of police-state power.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Choose the Future: Which Victory Story Will Run?
Here are alternative stories about the midterm election victors. You still have time to help make one of them happen.

Monday, November 6, 2006
URGENT! URGENT! Karl Rove's Last-Minute "Robocalling" Tactic to Steal the Election
(1 comments) Rove's "October Surprise" is his desperate dirty-trick "robo-calling" during the final 72 hours of the campaign. We need to get the word out about this despicable attempt to manipulate yet another election.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Why Voting for Dems Is Required: Pre-Election Scenarios
(3 comments) Bush&Co. are staying-the-course in Iraq -- with Bush&Co. are staying-the-course in Iraq -- with scapegoats being prepared -- and moving on the attack-Iran front. Plus, how Rove could pull off yet another stolen election. Antidote to all this? A landslide defeat next Tuesday for the GOP.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Why Voting for Dems Is Required: Pre-Election Scenarios
(3 comments) Bush&Co. are staying-the-course in Iraq -- with Bush&Co. are staying-the-course in Iraq -- with scapegoats being prepared -- and moving on the attack-Iran front. Plus, how Rove could pull off yet another stolen election. Antidote to all this? A landslide defeat next Tuesday for the GOP.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Traveling the "National Security" Route to November 7th
(1 comments) Searching for terrorists in the weirdest of places around the globe. What can we learn in a "national-security" world? Why are there toothpaste tubes all over the airport floor? Who took my passport and why?

Wednesday, October 18, 2006
It's Even Worse, and Better, Than We Thought: An Address to Democrats Abroad
(1 comments) A stark assesssment of the harsh political realities in America for those living outside the country. It ain't pretty, but in its ugliness one finds hope for major change.

Tuesday, October 3, 2006
The "F" Word and How to Escape From Its Clutches
With the passage of the torture/domestic spying/military tribunal bills, we're deep in the authoritarian muddy. But there are ways out, and the escape-trailhead starts at Nov. 7.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Gearing Up for Rove's Pre-Election "Surprises"
Rove still has a lot of dirty-trick arrows in his quiver for these last few weeks before the midterm balloting. Democrats need to prepare and initiate counter-measures -- or risk another humiliating defeat and a rare chance to start turning this country around.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Control the Dictionary, Control the World
Is Bush telling the truth when he says the U.S. doesn't torture and he would never authorize torture? Is he lying? Are his lips moving? It's all about who defines the terms -- and about an imminent election.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006
"The Flying Wi-Fi": Working Out the Bugs
Ever dream about being the proverbial "fly on the wall" in the offices of the high and mighty? With this new invention, you can do it. But there are some scary ramifications.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Twenty Things We Now Know Five Years After 9/11
A half-decade after 9/11, the haze has lifted from many citizens' eyes. As a result of the mass murders of that day and CheneyBush's use and abuse of 9/11, what they see is imperial adventurism abroad, and neo-fascism at home.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Bush Awards Himself the Medal of Freedom
(1 comments) Bush awards medals to the miscreants, pardons a few, and takes some hot questions from an aroused press corps. (Satire)

Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Bush&Co.: Desperate Desperados
Bush&Co.'s reactions to Lieberman's defeat and to the alleged liquid-bomb plot in England tells us a lot about how frightened the Busheviks are about losing big in November.

Tuesday, August 8, 2006
"Shallow Throat" on Nov. Vote: It's Now or Never
(1 comments) The high-ranking GOP mole inside the Bush Administration warns about the Dems snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, unless they are careful, aggressive and make sure to take care of business.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006
The Fast Lane To Fascism: A Review of John Dean's "Conservatives
(2 comments) John Dean's electrifying new book offers a compelling explanation for what underlies CheneyBush's bullying, militarist authoritarianism. And for the need to get rid of these guys ASAP before they take the country down with them.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006
From Bombs in Beirut to the Ballot Box in November
If there were no other reasons (ha!), the Bush Administration's disastrous policies in Iraq & the Middle East by themelves should be enough to convince voters in November to throw the GOP out of office.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Dangers and Glories of Manipulating Reality
Let's examine the political implications of new technology in photography, and the underlying metaphor for the discovery of truth.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Making Sense Out of Dangerous Nonsense
(1 comments) I try to make sense of politics -- it's what my doctorate implies I'm qualified to do -- but often I am defeated. Reality is just too damn weird. And satire these days is almost superfluous. Here are three examples.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Five Intercepted NSA Communiques Revealed (Fiction)
Here are some memos, emails and phone calls, purportedly intercepted by the spooks at NSA, from G.W. Bush, Karl Rove, Sam Alito, Rush Limbaugh and the Israeli Prime Minister. Being able to violate privacy of citizens works both ways.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Fracturing the Bush Base: A Compassionate Approach
What's the best way to reach Bush supporters on the war, and try to get them to abandon the GOP? Call them names, ignore them, or deal sensitively with their concerns?

Tuesday, June 20, 2006
A Graduation Report: Democrats Need to Sharpen Up
Do the Democrats really want to remain in permanent exile from power? If the commencement address talked about here is any indication, it could be.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006
What Rove's Skate May Mean
So Rove is given a walk by the Special Counsel. No Fitzmas present after all. It's bad news, but maybe not all bad.

Tuesday, June 6, 2006
"Groundhog Day" In Asia: Unwinnable Wars
Despite warnings from generals not to do so, America gets stuck in a war-loop every time it gets involved militarily in Asia. Presidents never learn.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Full text of "What's Important: The Seven Pillars of Misrule"
(1 comments) There are tectonic social and political shifts happening deep underground that may not affect us for years. Here are 7 vitally important things happening right now that we can do something about.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006
What's Important: The Seven Pillars of Misrule
Tectonic social-shifting is taking place deep underground. But here are 7 things happening right now on the political surface that are vitally important, since that's where we all meet the world.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Cheney Testifies Before the Truth & Reconciliation Commission
(2 comments) Cheney is placed under oath some years hence. And, though he tries to evade it, and is a bit testy with his interrogators, he's obliged to reveal the truths behind the Bush Administration's actions.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006
"Shallow Throat" on GOP Meltdown: Turn Up the Heat!
(1 comments) The GOP mole "Shallow Throat" assesses the moral and political rot in the White House these days -- the stench is atrocious -- and urges concerted action to take Bush&Co. down in November.

Tuesday, May 9, 2006
How to Keep Democrats from Blowing the November Election
(4 comments)   The Democrats are already planning for their first weeks of Congressional rule after the November election. Warning: Don't count your donkeys before they're in the barn -- count your votes instead.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Bushism as Greek Drama: "Hubris" & "Tragic Flaws"
As the Bush Administration readies its attack on Iran, it behooves us to try to understand how The Leader thinks and behaves. Greek drama provides some cluess.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Stop Us Before We Kill Again!
All signs point to Bush&Co. taking America to war in Iran. If we're lucky, we may have as much as a month or so to prevent this madness from unfolding. Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a very bumpy ride.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Bush Visits His Shrink, Session #2
NEW: Bush Visits His Shrink, Session Bush is having bad nightmares. The shrink offers some possible interpretations, and they're not always what The Leader wants to hear. Will there be a Session #3?

Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Bush's Grand Game: A "PNAC Primer" UPDATE
(2 comments) To get a handle on how Bush&Co. took America into its current domestic and foreign crises, one must first understand that their policies and actions did not originate after Bush was installed in the White House in January of 2001. The philosophy of greed and power-amassment already was in place years prior to that. It's time to re-examine The Project for The New American Century

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Inside Rove's Diary: Strangle That Censure Baby
Karl ain't having a good day, not with more talk of impeachment. Something will have to be done to squash Feingold's censure resolution quickly. Swift boats incoming.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Anti-Semitism and the New "Jews"
(3 comments) The virus of anti-Semitism seems to be breaking out again, and not only from the Rightwing fringes. The Left gets involved, too. And there are new "Jews" as targets

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Middle East Muddle: Is Peace Still Possible?
With Hamas feeling its way into power in Palestine, and new leaders about to be elected in Israel, it's a propitious "quiet" time to sort out the possible paths to peace in the Middle East.

Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Conservatives Are Jumping Ship: Bush Is Going Down
(2 comments) The criticism of Bush&Co. by fellow conservatives is scathing, both in terms of policy and competency. And here are those recent denunciations in all their glory.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Slicing Away Liberty: 1933 Germany, 2006 America
(1 comments) George W. Bush is not Adolf Hitler, or the rest of his Administration crew are not Nazis. But when the past offers a clear lesson for those of us living today, we should pay special attention.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Pushing Them Off the Precipice of Power
(1 comments) The Bush Administration is self-destructing right before our eyes, taking themselves to the lip of the political cliff. Can we get our act together to help them over the edge? We'd better, or it's all over.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Bush Takes Heat on Oprah's Couch
Strange things happen when prevaricators join Oprah on her sofa.  Here, George W. finds he has to go a few rounds with someone who knows her way around spin, B.S., and lies.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Reforming the Democrats -- Or a Third Party?
(9 comments) The Democratic Party is a mess, and is liable to get even worse. Do we try to take it over and reform it from within, or do we abandon it and join others in founding a viable third party?

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Weaving the "Why?" Strands: The Bushevik Tapestry
The tapestry of Bushevik corruption and police-state tactics contains many puzzling warps and woofs. Join me in piecing together some recent strands, which might provide a clearer view of the Big Picture.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006
"Shallow Throat": Do Dems Have a Death-Wish?
(1 comments) Shallow Throat, the high-ranking GOP mole, unloads on the timid, clueless Democrats, and provides ideas for how an imploding Bush Administration still might be taken down.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Fear, the Future & the Other F-Word
(1 comments) Congress has disbanded, Rumsfeld is making the trains run on time, and Rush Limbaugh is hanging out at the NIH pharmacy. Don't get worried, it's just the one-party state you're in.

Tuesday, January 3, 2006
12 Political Insights: A Starter-Kit for 2006
(1 comments) Here are a dozen political truisms and how Bush&Co., by ignoring them, create havoc on a humongous scale. They all lead to moving for impeachment of Bush/Cheney ASAP, for the sake our democratic republic's survival.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Would-Be Dictator: How We Got to This Awful Place
(2 comments) Bush is so desperate right now, he's willing to provoke a Constitutional crisis with Congress, the courts and the American people to maintain his authoritarian-type rule. So how did we get to this point, and how should we deal with this would-be dictator?

Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Those Secret Torture-Prisons: A Modest Proposal
Here's a cool way to express your patriotism, aim hurt at the Bad Guys, enjoy some aerobic fun and games, and demonstrate how American incentives work for the good of all. Sign up now.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005
It's Time to Play Beat-the-Bully
(1 comments) It will take a lot of effort and courage, but the timing is good right now for taking down this corrupt, incompetent, power-crazed crew of bullyboys. Jump into the fray.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Santa Baby, Please Make These Wishes Come True
We haven't even entered the twelve daze of Christmas shopping, but it's time for some serious Santa lap-sitting to reveal our gift-wishes. See if these requests maybe match yours.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Extreme Bush: The Good, Bad & Ugly
Everything seems to be falling apart for Bush&Co, and that's good. But they could be in power for three more years, and that's bad. And during those three years, unless we force them out -- well, a whole lot of ugly

Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Solving the Media Puzzle: A Day in the Life
If one is a careful reader/viewer, one can learn how to decipher the media's code and thus learn the news behind the news. For example, let's look at stories in one newspaper on one day and see what's really happening.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005
"Shallow Throat": Ratchet It Up, Take 'Em Down
The GOP mole "Shallow Throat" says the "objective conditions" exist for liberals, progressives, and traditional conservatives to take down this corrupt, incompetent, power-mad crew.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Scooter Libby's Diary: Come And Get Me, Coppers!
Scooter's still trying to figure out how he wound up in the dock by his lonesome. But he's still a neo-con true believer, willing to take a bullet for the cause.

Friday, October 28, 2005
Libby's Indictment: A Window Into the White House Cesspool
Fitzgerald saw the Plame scandal through a very narrow lens, neglecting the war context. But we can use the Libby indictment as an entry wedge into the White House cesspool.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Patrick Fitzgerald's Diary: Watching Them Flop, Squirm, Flip
Fitz unloads in his personal journal about the slime he's had to wade through to get these guys, and his worries about possible moves Bush&Co. could take to shut down the whole investigation.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005
"Good Night, and Good Luck" -- Joe McCarthy Rides Again
George Clooney's docudrama about Sen. Joseph McCarthy's political witch-hunting in the '50s bears a curious resemblance to events and bullies five decades later.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Before the Plamegate Deluge: Honoring Our Journalistic Heroes
It's time to celebrate our internet heroes that have brought us to the coming Bush&Co. fall.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005
GOP Heavies Work the "O.J. Dodge" (Satire)
Rove, Bush, Cheney and Schwarzenegger shoot the bull about GOP spin tactics, and Katrina fallout -- and familial ties to the Third Reich. Pretend none of this bears any resemblance to the truth.

Tuesday, September 6, 2005
To Those Who Voted for Bush: Do You Get It Now?
(7 comments) The Feds post-Katrina FUBAR proves yet again that Bush&Co. are dangerous incompetents, in way over their heads. It's time for them to resign or face impeachment.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Twenty Things We Now Know Four Years After 9/11
(2 comments) Four years after 9/11, we all know much more about what happened, how the Bush Administration used those tragic events in the service of their hidden agenda, what damage has been done, and what we have to do to turn this situation around.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005
A Cancerous Tumor in the Body Politic -- Time for Surgery
We know what needs to be done when a malignancy shows up in our own bodies. We need to transfer that lesson to the body politic when a cancer manifests itself.

Wednesday, August 3, 2005
U.S. Leaving Iraq? -- It's Still the Politics, Stupid
The Bush Administration has announced plans to withdraw a huge number of troops from Iraq by June of 2006. Is this for real, or a scam?

Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Inside Rove's Diary: How Do I Get Out of This One?
Karl Rove had a bad Plame week, but he's already worked out scenarios for how he and Libby escape indictment, and turn the tables on their foes.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Rove-Plame Scandal Leading to Deeper White House Horrors?
It's no longer about Plame, or Rove, but the illegal use of classified information -- perhaps concerning the run-up to the Iraq War -- and the vast coverup that followed inside the White House.