Bill O’Reilly declares end to his France boycott

As the weblog News Hounds noted, on the May 7 edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly declared that “The Factor is lifting the boycott of France” due to the recent election of conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy as France’s next president. From Media Matters Well in that case, I’m calling off my… Continue reading Bill O’Reilly declares end to his France boycott

A Split Emerges as Conservatives Discuss Darwin

Evolution has long generated bitter fights between the left and the right about whether God or science better explains the origins of life. But now a dispute has cropped up within conservative circles, not over science, but over political ideology: Does Darwinian theory undermine conservative notions of religion and morality or does it actually support… Continue reading A Split Emerges as Conservatives Discuss Darwin

More Accountable than the President?

So it’s finally happening: accountability. At long last, a prominent public figure is being punished for serial reckless behavior and the willful denial of its consequences. Unfortunately, the public figure in question is Paris Hilton, not George W. Bush. The two have more in common than a privileged background and a reputation for dimwitted pronouncements.… Continue reading More Accountable than the President?

Putin to Suspend Pact With NATO

The announcement, made in Mr. Putin’€™s annual address to Parliament, underscored the Kremlin’€™s anger at the United States for proposing a new missile defense system in Europe, which the Bush administration insists is meant to counter potential threats from North Korea and Iran. Mr. Putin suggested that Russia would use its future compliance with the… Continue reading Putin to Suspend Pact With NATO

Exclusive excerpts from Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great

This week Slate is publishing three excerpts from Christopher Hitchens’ new book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. From Slate Magazine Finally, a book critical on religion from the only atheist more pompous, self righteous and infuriatingly arrogant than Richard Dawkins. I hope this book is successful enough to bloat Hitchens already swollen… Continue reading Exclusive excerpts from Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great

Abramoff III

Yet another shoe drops in the Jack Abramoff investigation. A former aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Mark Zachares, looks set to plead guilty to corruption charges. From TPMmuckraker You know things are bad when scandals this big become B level stories because there are such major scandals taking up all of the media baud… Continue reading Abramoff III

Bill to Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked

A pillar of the Democratic political program tumbled today when Republicans in the Senate blocked a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of older Americans, a practice now forbidden by law. From Bill to Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked Can someone please explain why forbidding the Government from… Continue reading Bill to Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked