The announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens represents a wee bit more than pretty much the last “Rockefeller Republican” (a holdover from the days when the Dixie-free Republican Party were the social liberals in this country) in major office in the United States (Snowe and Collins, folks, for all the talk of their “centrism,” are “new Republicans,” i.e., “fascists”). As hinted at in this piece by Greenwald, Stevens’s departure from the Court and likely replacement by former Hahvahd Law School Dean and current U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan represents the probable end of any semblance of American...

It does this middle aged White man good to see guys who are older and Whiter than him kicking ass… such as Fred Couples leading and Tom Watson one shot back after the first round at the Masters golf tournament. (Not my game, of course, and quite frankly, I’d ban the damned thing on environmental grounds… but still and all…) And, despite the compelling nature of the almost unprecedented situation– a couple of over-50 men in the hunt for a major sporting championship– Tiger Woods— the only thing anyone cares about– is only one shot behind Watson. Good for you,...

Condolences for the families of the at least 25 dead in a coal mine accident in West Virginia, the worst American mine disaster in at least 25 years, The mine at issue, owned by the Massey company, which itself was involved in other recent accidents, had numerous violations found by federal inspectors, but continued to operate anyway. Coal has always been deeemed “cheap” energy because “the market” has valued the human cost (of both these kind of tragedies and of the horrifying medical conditions suffered by miners) and the environmental cost (we can add global warming to the air pollution...

Let me be among the last to comment on the decision of Chief Judge Vaughan Walker of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco to the effect that the Bush Administration’s warrantless electronic eavesdropping on Americans is not only illegal, but as Dan Froomkin tells at Huffpo, the Obama Administration can stick its “state secrets” assertion up its tush too. This is one of those things that kind of give the public the correct impression that in sheer cojones, the Republicans have a humongous edge over their pathetic Democratic “colleagues.” The Republicans, of course, brought articles of impeachment against Bill...

Sarah Palin is the former Governor of the State of Alaska and was the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2008. She is currently a Fox News commentator, and the author of the best-selling political memoir, “Going Rogue”. On April 1, 2010, I had the privilege of interviewing Governor Palin by telephone. The Talking Dog: Governor, as you know, my usual first question is “where were you on September 11, 2001”? Sarah Palin: I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I’m going to talk straight to the...

Fresh from passage and enactment of a “health care reform” that Dick Nixon would have been proud of without so much as a single Republican vote, the President continues to be utterly undeterred by reality, and insists that he can “negotiate” with Republicans (including, amusingly, Long Island Republican Congressman Peter King, who despises all terrorists who aren’t the I.R.A.) over “closing Guantanamo,” featuring discussion of such “details” as statutory indefinite detention of un-charged and un-tried persons, having actual criminal trials in actual courts (with actual, real judges and everything!), and other stuff. We have, of course, gone from “closing Guantanamo...

Candace writes to me from Tbilisi, Georgia, and passes along this press release from the United States Department of Justice, advising that three Guantanamo detainees have been released to the Republic of Georgia, pursuant to agreement between the United States and Georgian governments. Candace has asked me to tell you that one of those released is none other than her client, Abdul Hamid al-Ghizzawi. From time to time, I have let you in on Mr. Al-Ghizzawi’s saga. He is a Libyan national almost exactly my age, who was just trying to live a quiet life as a baker in Afghanistan...

As our esteemed members of Congress meet this weekend to do what Bill Clinton could not get done, and (perhaps) pass a bill called “health care reform,” the Tea Party movement just wants you to know that they are incredible sports. If “health care reform” actually passes Congress and is signed into law, our Tea Party movement friends just want us to know that they don’t really mean the thing about gun violence… it’s, you know, a rhetorical device. Honestly, I don’t much like the basic “reform” myself. The basic bill, as I understand it, quite literally forces people by...

When questioned by an irrelevant member of the irrelevant minority party, Attorney General Eric Holder suggested that if Osama bin Laden were captured, he would not be read his Miranda warnings… because he won’t be captured… er, he won’t be captured alive. And this is precisely why we will not, ever, win the so-called “war on terror”. The terrorists have already won. Yes, Attorney General Holder was on track when he suggested to John Culberson, the moron Republican from Texas (excuse the redundancy) that OBL would have comparable rights to Charles Manson. But then the Congressman deked and suggested that...

On this insanely rainy and unpleasant weekend here in the New York area, we give you this “profound thought” (from a chapter entitled “Profound Thought Number 15”) from The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery: I understood that I was suffering because I couldn’t make anyone else around me feel better. I understood that I have a grudge against… [them] because I’m incapable of being useful to them, because there’s nothing I can do for them. They are already too fargone in their sickness, and I am too weak. I can see their symptoms clearly but I’m not skilled...