Gallup States The Obvious

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

Gallup headline: Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious Democrats are more likely to be moderate or liberal, Hispanic, or black or other races But there is a nice revealing chart:   I'm sure the opposition to Sotomayor's going to help with the GOP's appalling appeal to minorities.

Kudos To Brittani McCalister

Ken AshfordEducation1 Comment

She's a Terre Haute student and she is graduating from high school this year, which is nice enough, but in addition…. Brittani McCalister has never missed a day of school in 13 years, kindergarten through grade 12. In fact, she has not missed one minute of school in all those years. The 2009 West Vigo High School graduate has never been … Read More

Goldstein’s Sotomayor Analysis Complete

Ken AshfordRace, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

I referenced this before: Over at SCOTUSblog, Tom Goldstein notes all proverbial ink being spilled over Sotomayor's race, along with the implicit and explicit statements that her supposed bias will prevent her from judicating equally and fairly. So he decided to do something novel… read her decisions. Goldstein is done with his analysis, and the results should put to rest any claim … Read More

Remember That DHS Report?

Ken AshfordCrime, Right Wing Punditry/Idiocy, War on Terrorism/Torture, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Michelle Malkin apparently doesn't think the killer of Dr. Tiller is a "terrorist".  He's an "extremist".  She adds: Interesting how the t-word has been rediscovered. She has the memory of a moth.  It was only back in April when the Department of Homeland Security issued a report equating right-wing extremism as a possible breeding ground for terrorist acts.  The right wing … Read More

Whiny Les Miz Singing Lady Has Nervous Breakdown

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

Because she lost. Obviously, I'm being sarcastic.  The whole thing is rather sad. But not entirely unpredictable.  Fame is a hardship, and instantaneous worldwide fame destroys.  Going from a quiet anonymous life to life-under-the-fishbowl must be extremely straining.  Here's hoping she gets well.  In fact, I hope Susan Boyle makes the decision to retire, thumbing her nose at the lucrative money she was sure … Read More

The Hate Rhetoric

Ken AshfordRight Wing and Inept MediaLeave a Comment

At some point, the right wing media has to be called out. Oh sure.  As Slate's Gabriel Winant points out, Bill O'Reilly will be on television tonight tut-tutting the murder of Dr. George Tiller.  But this come about after O'Reilly has made Tiller the subject of 28 "Factor" news stories, starting in 2005. Almost invariably, Tiller is described as "Tiller … Read More

Reagan Did It

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

Wasn't it Rush Limbaugh who once said of Ronald Reagan: "We as a nation owe Reagan a debt that can never be repaid" or something like that? Well, Nobel Prize in Economics award winner Paul Krugman points out the ironic truth of that tribute: “This bill is the most important legislation for financial institutions in the last 50 years. It provides a … Read More

The Dr. Tiller I Knew

Ken AshfordCrime, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

From a Daily Kos diarist: Like many in this community, my heart is heavy today. There have been many great diaries that talk about Dr. Tiller's years of service to women, and the threats he has endured throughout the last years of his life. My story is a bit more personal and I want to share it with all of … Read More