GOP Congressman Peter King — the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee — had said this today regarding Eric Holder's decision to investigate whether laws were broken by the Bush administration's torture: "It’s bulls***. It’s disgraceful. You wonder which side they’re on. [It's' a] declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense…" Yeah. Well, one can be "not … Read More
About That “Tree of Liberty”
This week, MSNBC got a live shot of of a man with a gun in a holster. He was not a law enforcement person; he's one of the protesters at an Obama town hall even in Portsmouth, NH. Chris Matthews later interviewed him. At the protest, the man had a sign saying "It is time to water the tree of … Read More
If The Moon Landing Happened Today
Slate imagines how it would be covered by today's media: Yeah. I'm sorry but you just need Cronkite. Not Chris Matthews.
The Speech We Didn’t Hear 40 Years Ago
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. The following speech, revealed in 1999, was prepared by Nixon's then speechwriter, William Safire, to be used in the event of a disaster that would maroon the astronauts on the moon: Fate has ordained that the men who went to the … Read More
Today Is The Anniversary Of Everything
I've already mentioned Apollo 11, which launched on July 16, 1969. But this day also marks: The death of JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bissette Kennedy in a plane crash off Nantucket (10 years ago today) Catcher In The Rye published (1951) The execution of the Romanovs, including — yes, people — Anatasia (1918) The designation of Washington DC as this … Read More
We Choose The Moon
Oddly enough, most Americans living today weren't born when Americans first landed on the moon. That was 40 years ago this month. The JFK Presidential Library has a fun and interesting online exhibit to learn about the famous monn landing. You can follow the mission, as it happened 40 years ago, in real time. "Live" transmissions between the ground and … Read More
Opposing A Marker Acknowledging Slave Labor
The United States Capital Building, its wonderful dome, and the Statue of Freedom that sits atop it, were built by slave labor. Yeah, I know. Bit of national shame and embarassment. Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives sought to redress that grievance in some small way with a resolution acknowledging the role slaves played in the Capital's construction. The purpose … Read More
Who Says We Won’t Have Nixon To Kick Around Anymore?
Just yesterday, a Nixon tape was released in which he expressed approval of abortion for children of interracial couples. Today, from other newly-released tapes, we learn of his sexism. In February of 1973, President Nixon called future president and then-Republican National Committee chairman George H.W. Bush, and recounted a recent visit to the South Carolina state legislature. "I noticed a couple of … Read More
Pat Boone Cannot Tell The Truth
Lot of really good over-the-top anti-Obama wingnuttery these days. Over at Renew America, Marie Jon No-More-Apostrophe has penned her solution to deal with Obama in a piece entitled "How do we stop Communism? Pray!" And Sher "It Appears That" Zieve is still using her favorite rhetorical devices — capital letters and the phrase "it appears that" — to gin up the … Read More
Quote Of The Day
More Nixon tapes released, and buried in them is Nixon discussing his views on abortion in the wake of Roe v. Wade: “There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white…. or a rape.” Nice, Dick.
Dick Cheney Blames Richard Clarke For Failing To Warn Of 9/11
Former Bush National Security Council’s counter-terrorism director wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post this past weekend, saying that "trauma of 9/11" was a piss-poor excuse for the response of Cheney and the Bush Administration in the weeks and months that followed (Iraq invasion, Gitmo detention, illegal wiretapping, etc.): Yes, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice may have been surprised by … Read More
RIP Milvina Dean
98 years ago today, the Titanic was launched. And we know what happened a couple of weeks later. 706 passengers survived. And the last survivor of the Titanic died this morning. She was 97. Milvina Dean was just over two months at the time of the sinking. She was in lifeboat 13. She was in the news a few months ago … Read More
This Day In Theatre History
250 years ago today: On this day [May 31] in 1759, lawmakers in Pennsylvania adopt a law forbidding the performance of plays. The law was adopted in response to pressure from religious groups, particularly Baptists, who found theatrical performances immoral. Anyone found guilty of putting on a play was fined 500 pounds. Fuckin' religious right.
A Plea For Public Broadcasting
Everytime pledge week rolls around on NPR, I am reminded of Fred Rogers (aka "Mr. Rogers", of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood") in 1969 testifying before Congress. Public television was in danger of having its budget slashed dramatically. Mr. Rogers, still a relative unknown, went up to Captial Hill. He not only urged that the public broadcasting budget not be cut, but … Read More
Time In A Bottle
On September 9, 1944, Waclaw Sobczak, a Polish Catholic confined to the horrors of Auschwitz, was on work detail. Very quietly, he fashioned a scrap of paper from a cement bag and scrawled his name, camp number, and hometown. Six other prisoners names were also on the paper. The paper was placed in a bottle; the bottle was placed inside a … Read More