Tag Archives: Barack Obama

How to Read the Washington Post

10/20/2011 – 1:17 pm

Sunday, the Washington Post published “Obama allies’ interests collide over Keystone pipeline,” which on its face is a news story.  It’s also a guide to life in our nation’s capital. The gist of the story is that when it comes to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the White House is pinched.  On one side are […]

By floegel | Posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary, Oil | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Race to the Bottom: Homestretch

9/1/2011 – 1:25 pm

In this space the first week of January 2004, I predicted it would be the year that would determine whether or not American democracy would survive.  In the last month of that same year, I was forced to conclude, with sorrow, that American democracy is doomed.  Although I’ve been allowed brief moments of hope since […]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary, Economy, Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear Energy, Oceans, Oil | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Crazy Like a Fox

6/2/2011 – 8:22 am

I admit having a morbid fascination with electoral politics, the way some people feel about slasher movies. Even so, the Sarah Palin bus tour is too gruesome and I must avert my eyes. Democrats are said to be happy with the antics of the former half-term governor of Alaska. The hype around Ms. Palin chokes […]

By floegel | Posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary, Electoral Politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Bin Laden Furor: It’s All Theater

5/12/2011 – 1:04 pm

The UK Guardian ran a story Monday about a secret deal between the US and Pakistan, reached in 2001, shortly after Osama bin Laden gave our troops the slip at Tora Bora. (Heckuva job, Rummy!) According to active and retired officials from both nations, if the US got a shot at bin Laden, they were […]

By floegel | Posted in Commentary, September 11th | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Stop Making Sense

4/28/2011 – 10:55 am

Yesterdays’ Wall Street Journal carried an op-ed attacking Barack Obama for a draft executive order which would require businesses contracting with the federal government to disclose their owners’ political contributions over $5,000. One of the authors is John Yoo, who famously wrote memos authorizing torture for the Bush administration. So, on one hand, Mr. Yoo […]

By floegel | Posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary, Electoral Politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Ten Thousand and One Arabian Nights

2/10/2011 – 2:55 pm

I’ve been procrastinating all day. This is partially because, well, it’s what I do. This week’s excuse is that I’ve been waiting to see what happens in Egypt. As I wrote last week, the Obama administration can’t seem to get its head out of the desert sand and make a decision about Egypt. Or make […]

By floegel | Posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

What Were We Thinking?

2/3/2011 – 1:32 pm

I was walking across campus that October afternoon when I heard the news. I rushed to the Journalism Department where the Associated Press Teletype was clattering in its insulated booth. Other J-students and professors were gathered around, tearing off the reports as they came in and silently passing them around. Anwar Sadat was dead, assassinated […]

By floegel | Posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)