Category: Health of the Republic
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My congressional lobbying
I haven’t really gotten involved in haranguing my elected representatives before, but the possibility of health care reform is so tantalizingly close — and the apparent drift of the Democratic so-called “leadership” is so grindingly predictable and frustrating — that I’ve felt compelled to contact my representative several times. Below the fold is the email…
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What Michael Steel Won’t Let Me Post
OK, that’s melodramatic. All that’s occurred so far is that their mediocre site has choked several times since I’ve tried to post a comment in response to a blog post there. The post blames President Obama for the jobs lost in the past 11 months and worries what it would mean if he does a…
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Security v. Security Theater
Not surprisingly, Bruce Schneier has an excellent piece talking about the psychological dimensions of terrorism and what a strong, stable industrial democracy can do in the face of amorphous threats… without sacrificing its principles, its freedoms, or its citizens. If you live in an advanced country, you should probably read this — before the next…
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Knowing is Half the Battle
I was cruising TechDirt and saw a neat post on “Is The Federal Government The Most Interesting Tech Startup For 2009?” The idea is that the recent data.gov initiative has led to an outpouring of with-it and effective apps allowing anyone to get a handle on the vast trove of information compiled by the federal…
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“We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it.”
In general, I’m not overly impressed with the Presidential Saturday radio address (now of course really a YouTube address). But I liked today‘s, probably because it resonates with something I’ve said before (twice, even). Happy Birthday, America.
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Health of the Republic: Reset to 50%
It’s been a while since I’ve updated this ticker. And it remains completely arbitrary, of course. But with a new administration taking hold of the reins, it’s time for some (cautious) optimism about the restoration of the Republic. I have genuine high hopes for Barack Obama and his people. I think this is a smart,…
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Worst. President. EVER.
I know it’s early to ring in with the verdict of history and I know there’s room for reasonable debate. But I feel pretty sure that this will indeed be the epitaph of George Walker Bush, 43rd President of the United States (to our everlasting chagrin and shame). Hopefully the crimes committed by he and…
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America the Beautiful
A stirring rendition, courtesy of Beyoncé at HBO’s “We Are One” Inauguration Concert.
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Words Fail Me
From the “sunset interview” in People (as quoted at Shakesville): Which moments from the last eight years do you revisit most often? THE PRESIDENT: I definitely think about the families I’ve met of the fallen soldiers—about the compassion, love and determination of the families, to make sure that the Commander-in-Chief hears their stories and knows…
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Dawn Breaks
A few minutes ago, Fox News — Fox News! — called the Presidential race for Senator Barack Obama. By now most networks have agreed, and apparently Senator John McCain has conceded the race. Wow. It’s going to take a while to absorb this. Words like “historic occasion” don’t cut it. This was an epochal moment…