New York Times Columnist Line of the Day

If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s comes from Paul Krugman\’s excellent column entitled \”Fear Strikes Out,\” in which he compares the opposition to health care reform to its advocates. Instead,...

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Seal the Deal!

I spent much of the morning watching “Washington Journal” on C-SPAN. Nutters are pisssssed. That said, most of the anger seems to be about the ‘process’ and the ‘back room deals.’ Now, I’ve seen no formal analysis , but based on what I know thus far, most deals were over policy and did not happen more than usual. I have to assume that people complaining about ‘process’ are new to watching legislation happen and either (a) don’t like our system or (b) don’t understand what is happening. Either way, fuck it, we have healthcare and that should...

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Morning Constitutional – Monday, 22 March 2010

Good morning, everybody. Borat got married, Rosie wants to come back, and there\’s going to be a new Shel Silverstein book. Now, on to your morning constitutional: \”We proved that this government—a government of the people and by the people—still works for the people,\” President Obama said last night, as the House of Representatives, in a 219-212 vote, passed the Senate health care reform bill. In a separate 220-211 vote, they additionally sent a package of changes to the Senate. The Times has some details on the contents of the bill. Reuters weighs in as well. The...

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New York Times Columnist Line of the Day

If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Despite Brooks sounding like a Communist version of Bernie Sanders today, today\’s Line of the Day (TM) comes from Roger Cohen, who in today\’s column...

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Morning Constitutional – Friday, 19 March 2010

Happy Friday, everyone. John Stewart is Glenn Beck, upsets apparently abound and if you needed any more, here\’s your morning constitutional: Who knew that a move from \’This Week\’ to \’Good Morning America\’ was a promotion? Rep. Steve Cohen with a touching tribute to Alex Chilton. \”Oh, I keep the beer in the other fridge.\” Nate Silver counts to 216. Tony Judt on Obama, the EU and Transatlanticism. Finally, this is perfect for a beautiful day.

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Here's to the state of Richard Nixon

President George W. Bush famously hoped that history would vindicate his—er—less popular decisions. Well, it seems that history is beginning to vindicate another president that fell in disgrace in his own era. His bigotry, racism, foul mouth and criminal actions notwithstanding, President Richard Milhouse Nixon, in hindsight, is starting to look downright palatable. The filibuster has been, as of late, a thorn in the side of the Senate’s ability to accomplish anything. “Consider the history,” Bruce Ackerman writes at The American Prospect: It now takes 60 Senators (three-fifths) to end a filibuster, but for most of the...

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New York Times Columnist Line of the Day

If you\’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I\’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is from Gail Collins, who in today\’s column entitled \”Sex Scandals to Learn By,\” referring to the recent GQ interview with Rielle Hunter, John...

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Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 18 March 2010

Good morning, folks. Conan might be going to Fox, Tebow\’s throwing some balls around, and Jennifer Love Hewitt isn\’t that excited about being single. Basketball starts this afternoon, so let\’s get on with our morning constitutional: Whoo: Jobs bill passes Senate with 11 Republican votes. Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, is mad tall, has an office in the White House but hardly ever uses it, loves fly-fishing and cheap cigars. And he might be the key to solving the world\’s financial problems. Whoever said you can\’t get a fair shake on Fox News?...

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Ownership of the means of production

It is both disheartening and convenient when you are struggling to write an essay, forcibly putting words together that do not work, trying ideas that make almost no sense, and working in a direction that isn’t clear, and finding an essay that says what you are trying to say more clearly and cogently than your efforts could lead you. I was trying to write such an essay recently, when today I came across the following spectacular essay by Ken Lowery Eugene Ahn at The Bureau Chiefs. It is a response to Rachael Maddux’s cover story for Paste,...

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Morning Consitutional – Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Good morning, everyone. Black Eyed Peas are playing the World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert, and that\’s just awful. Now, enjoy your morning constitutional: Support for health care reform is ticking up, according to some new polls. From the Post, President Obama\’s push for health care reform in Ohio convinces a few skeptics. The priest at the center of the sexual abuse scandal in Germany has been suspended. Slate has a piece on the Pope in the Catholic Church\’s child abuse problem. The Pope has announced that he will address abuse in a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics...

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