MSNBC reports that North Korea has granted a “special pardon” to Euna Lee and Laura Ling, two US journalists for Current TV, and will release them following a meeting between Bill Clinton and Kim Jong-Il. In a related story, the No Quarter blog reports on just about the last headline one would expect to see from the usually insufferable Drudge Report.
Category Archives: American Politics
Regional Blogging Done Right: Clem Guttata Calls Out Sen. Rockefeller
Go read Clem’s comments on Rockefeller’s fealty to Big Coal at his blog. I’m generally bullish on the senator, but he has long had a good deal of explaining to do to his real constituents on the matter of his ties to one of the world’s biggest environmental wrongdoers. This is a great example of regional/state blogging done right.
Sarah Palin to Resign as AK Guv. Why?
The most interesting aspects of her abrupt resignation announcement (it takes effect in three weeks) are that she did it as a late Friday news dump on a holiday weekend that will be dominated by the late Michael Jackson, and she gave a reason that makes no sense at all. Something smells awfully wrong here.
Signs and Portents
I urge you to read Sara Robinson’s May 2 blog post at Orcinus. Both Sara and Orcinus überblogger David Neiwert – author of the must-read new book “The Eliminationists” – have done an extraordinary job of reporting and analyzing the rise of violent right-wing rhetoric and action.
Obama Exposes Medieval Practices of Bush Jr.’s Regime
I weigh in on the publication of the notorious Bush Jr. “torture memos” at APJ.
Astroturf Watch: Kochzilla Caught Planting Faux Seeds Again
In the realm of bare-knuckles dirty politics, “astroturf” is a term used to describe a bogus grassroots campaign. And thanks to the enterprising work…
Continue reading Astroturf Watch: Kochzilla Caught Planting Faux Seeds Again
Lebrecht on Obama’s New Deal for the Arts
Norman Lebrecht weighs in from across the pond with an outsider’s perspective on what the Barack Obama presidency might mean for the performing arts.
Rachel Paulose Gets “Pwned”
My commentary on the Office of Special Counsel’s excoriation of loyal Bushie prosecutor Rachel Paulose can be found at APJ.
Smashmouth Now!
I chime in on the rise of Democratic spinal fortitude and a need to apply the Chicago rules at APJ.
When You’ve Lost Ann Landers’s Daughter…
Via Lisa Derrick at the reliably ahead-of-the-curve Campaign Silo (whose missile-implying name always seems to bring to mind Onion News Network’s War for the White House reports… and if you’ve never seen the opening FOX-News-eat-yer-heart-out title sequence… but I digress…), we read that the terrific advice columnist Margot Howard, daughter of the iconic Ann Landers, is none too impressed by Slick Sally: