Just in time for May Day, I have my school work for Spring 09 completed and a whole new look for graduation. All I can do is wait and see what my grades are and hope I have passing grades in all of my classes. It’d be rather silly if I went to [...]

Dick Cheney has been mounting an uncharacteristic media interview campaign to defend “enhanced interrogation.” He’s been taking about how these techniques produced “valuable information.” From a file near his former office, he’s requested to CIA reports be released. These documents he feels will prove that these techniques worked. The most secretive man in politics, now wants information released….Dick Cheney has been mounting an uncharacteristic media interview campaign to defend “enhanced interrogation.” He’s been taking about how these techniques produced “valuable information.” From a file near his former office, he’s requested to CIA reports be released. These documents he feels will prove that these techniques worked. The most secretive man in politics, now wants information released….

How many people would pay to see Hannity waterboarded?

I was wondering how much support the Tea Bagging movement had in the country, and today we got an answer…. A few hundred per state. Just about the number of people who think the Flintsones is a documentary. Its quite a shame no-one knows what they are protesting.

After hearing the details on the Republican budget, it’s no surprise they waited until April 1 to announce it.   Their solution involves some of the biggest tax cuts in many decades.   I’m waiting to be able to look at the entire proposal, but it seems obvious that it is another attempt to grab at their [...]

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Which Webcam has the Best Audio?

by Melissa Mahfouz
Special to iVoryTowerz

The United States is starting to get it right in the Middle East. The U.S. has pledged $900 million in aid for reconstruction efforts in Gaza, thanks, in a large part, to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This move certainly transcends any political boundaries, but hopefully may be perceived by Palestinians and the Arab world as an effort by the U.S. to mend relations. The $900 million, however, is not pity money, but rather a recognition of the need for an independent Palestinian infrastructure, as well as a recognition for the wrongs directed towards the Palestinian people.

Secretary of State Clinton deserves quite a commendation for her efforts in the region already. (Clinton just concluded her first diplomatic swing through the region.) In the course of a few weeks, and with the reconstruction funds, she has already accomplished what the Bush administration failed to achieve over an eight year tenure. Now, there must be a diligent effort between the Palestinian Authority and Clinton’s crew to ensure that the money goes to the Palestinian people, which is quite a stretch. Internal meddling, corrupt officials, and political middlemen all stand as potential barriers to guaranteeing that each and every penny goes to reconstruction and development efforts. The largest portions of the aid package are to be allocated towards humanitarian aid, economic and public works projects, as well as funding for institution building projects and budget shortfalls within the Palestinian government.

If this aid and construction are successes, then the United States would have fostered a breakthrough not seen in years. Again, the major players we are counting on are Secretary Clinton, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarek, Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, regional public officials, and the voice of the Palestinian people themselves. This is quite an opportunity to forge multilateral relations, and to truly exert a much-needed diplomacy.

(The photo of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meeting in Ramallah with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority earlier this month is an official photo from the U.S. State Department and is in the public domain.)

politics
Middle East
Hillary Clinton
Israel
Gaza
Gaza reconstruction
Mahmoud Abbas
Hosni Mubarek
Tzipi Livni
Palestine
Palestinian Authority
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The Bluetooth Mighty Mouse is a one button mouse with multi-button and scroll capability. Unfortunately Apple gave up quite a bit of usability to keep the one button style. It may not be a big deal to some, but I occasionally play games, and being able to use mouse buttons simultaneously is important. Also the lack of rechargability is somewhat disappointing. Basically it’s a good product, but they could have made some better choices.

by Jeff Siegel

Newspapers aren’t the only cultural institution that is in danger of joining the blacksmith and the turntable as cute relics of someone else’s past. The Republicans are headed that way, as well.

How else to explain two recent GOP imbroglios: Party insiders ripping former presidential candidate John McCain at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and party chairman Michael Steele apologizing for calling Rush Limbaugh “incendiary” in an interview? At CPAC, U.S. Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) said: “I am a recovering McCain surrogate.” In the latter instance, Steele asked the talk show host for forgiveness after Limbaugh criticized Steele for having the temerity to criticize Limbaugh.

Regular visitors here know that I am no fan of the Republican Party, which aided and abetted George Bush’s eight-year misrule. But I can feel sorry for it, and I do — just like I feel sorry for the friend who always goes out with the wrong guys and never learns from her mistakes. It’s really quite sad, but in the end, it’s her own fault.

The GOP is long past denial. It’s living in a universe far, far away, where the collapse of the banking system never happened, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan quickly ended in victory, and the stock market is still setting record highs. It doesn’t understand the immense cultural and socio-economic changes taking place in the U.S. and it doesn’t realize that the country gave President Barack Obama a mandate in November to undo the damage the GOP did under Bush. In the eyes of Burgess, Limbaugh and their fellow travelers, Bill Clinton is still president and nothing has changed since they hoisted Clinton by his petard. Or, as the noted philosopher Paul Simon once noted: “We believe what we want to believe and disregard the rest.”

One day, perhaps, the GOP will realize that voters use iPods and not turntables. If it doesn’t, it will join the Whigs and the Know Nothings and the Federalists in the history books. And it will have no one to blame but itself.

(Political graphic by Frederick; you can see more of Frederick’s graphics at the blogs Guys from Area 51 and MCCS1977. This graphic is made available through a Creative Commons License.)

politics
Rush Limbaugh
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Michael Burgess
Conservative Political Action Conference
CPAC
Republicans
GOP
George Bush
Barack Obama
John McCain
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Bush
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