tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56818962024-09-16T20:56:09.788-04:00Staunch ModerateThe answer lies somewhere in the middle ...Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.comBlogger912125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-10311051769690438452007-06-19T16:42:00.001-04:002007-06-19T16:42:45.522-04:00The Decider: What is more important in a political candidate, policies or character?My gut would be to go with character. But when you see a candidate whose policies make you wince, it's hard to give much support in return.I'm watching the presidential nomination battles with great interest. You've got your typical mix of front-runners who get all the attention and fringe candidates who will do Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-34015469235875586552007-05-21T16:07:00.001-04:002007-05-21T16:08:26.263-04:00Washington Post headline today: "Richardson Joins 2008 Race"Really? Is that why he's been running campaign ads and participating in the presidential primary debates?Seriously, I don't understand how a journalist can run such a headline with a straight face. While we're screwing up campaign-finance law, maybe we can pass legislation saying you're not allowed to run for office without first Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-2864889380508010322007-05-17T09:54:00.000-04:002007-05-17T09:55:50.939-04:00Top Five ways to automatically lose a debate in the blogosphere.1) "Nazi". It's sad because there are historical lessons to be learned from World War II and the rise of Nazism. But the term gets overused so much in politics, that just about anyone invoking the term is grasping at straws because he or she cannot come up with a coherent argument. See also, "Hitler", "Fascist", and "the end of Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-39561610252346793152007-05-04T13:43:00.000-04:002007-05-04T13:44:07.006-04:00Bogus: Conservatives have been dismissing all liberal interest in the Iraq War, arguing that Democrats can only benefit politically if the United States loses there -- that any success will only help the Republicans in the '08 elections by making Bush look good.That's just right-wing garbage. The Democrats can actually stand to gain greatly by a U.S. victory in Iraq.There was bipartisan support Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-53179849119519984182007-04-19T11:47:00.000-04:002007-04-19T11:48:18.512-04:00Silver Lining: The cynic in me used to always shrug off news descriptions of murder victims. It seemed that everyone who died automatically became a saint.The descriptions are always the same: "He was a nice man." "She was a generous person."You never hear anyone say: "Actually, he was a real jerk."Now talking to the families and friends of the deceased from Virginia Tech, I'm finding that these Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-22726455720444089052007-04-18T17:15:00.001-04:002007-04-18T17:15:34.536-04:00Dark Days: Like many other journalists around the country, I'm busy at work covering the Virginia Tech shootings. It's a terrible tragedy, and I'm happy to do my part in getting information out to the public.But then I see that the killer took time between his first murders and the second shooting spree to make a video and send it to NBC. He knew that this was going to get national attention, andStaunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-55020617860309433072007-03-27T15:01:00.001-04:002007-03-27T15:01:35.776-04:00See An Enemy: In case you were unaware, our enemies have had a "pernicious impact on American democracy" through a "culture of fear" that has created damage "infinitely greater than any wild dreams entertained by the fanatical perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks".This enemy, of course, is President Bush and his evil cronies. By using 9/11 as a call to arms to wage a War on Terrorism, he has become Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-17128714875370675422007-03-08T09:40:00.000-05:002007-03-08T09:41:14.272-05:00Digging In: The biggest problem with the presidential election heating up so early is that people are going to get sick of the frontrunner before the elections. That doesn't bode well for Giuliani, who appears to be leading in the Republican primary and the general election. That's just going to make him an extra juicy target, both for rivals and for the news media. And, from what I understand, Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-72805152380085931432007-03-08T09:34:00.000-05:002007-03-08T09:35:23.635-05:00Why Not: For those of you who still don't give a damn about who the next president will be, you could have something else to watch on TV. The Geico cavemen may get their own sitcom.Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-44339774090314209362007-03-07T10:57:00.000-05:002007-03-07T11:05:36.958-05:00Let's Do It: I guess it's not too early for presidential politics. Not only is the media already hyperactively covering every drop of mud flung in this premature race, the public is actually paying attention, according to one poll.We have a combination of the first wide-open presidential election in years, with neither a president nor a vice president running, mixed with rock-bottom poll numbers Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1977688161352828182007-02-23T18:21:00.001-05:002007-02-23T18:22:00.263-05:00Faster and Harder, but not Deeper: I thought it was too early to pay attention to presidential politics. But, with several candidates already in the midst of their campaigns, we've already had one drop out.Tom Vilsack says he couldn't raise enough money. And as former governor of Iowa, some people expected him to take the first caucuses, giving him some advantage in the overall race, despite his Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-50333564001223282302007-02-21T14:46:00.001-05:002007-02-21T14:46:38.754-05:00Love the Brits: All I can say is, Thanks!Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-83314255828372695522007-02-16T11:52:00.001-05:002007-02-16T11:52:43.550-05:00HA! Is Barak Obama black enough? The Daily Show's Larry Wilmore answers that question once and for all.P.S. It's about time The Daily Show hired a black guy. That show has been preaching liberalism, but all the correspondents have looked like they came out of the Order of DeMolay.Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-53803544011383804862007-02-15T10:14:00.001-05:002007-02-15T10:17:36.858-05:00Religious Conversion: Do people really give a damn about Mitt Romney's religion? The media would have you believe that this is a serious issue. Sure, Mormonism is kinda kooky. But Mormons ditched polygamy years ago, and despite Joseph Smith's eccentricities, most modern-day Mormons live regular, productive lives.When JFK ran, some people were afraid that, as a Catholic president, he would be Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-12215853024906119692007-02-08T10:20:00.000-05:002007-02-08T10:41:39.096-05:00Bartenders Against Designated Drivers? A bar in Florida kicked a man out for not ordering alcohol. Accounts vary, of course. But the man says he wanted to be designated driver for his wife and friends, who were drinking, so he ordered a Coke. Bar people say the man wanted to be designated driver for his wife and friends, who were drinking, and ordered nothing.Accusations of physical violence Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-54396601809938071942007-01-26T13:30:00.000-05:002007-01-26T18:18:09.993-05:00What the Hell? "Troops Authorized to Kill Iranian Operatives in Iraq", reads the Washington Post headline. Apparently the previous policy was "catch and release". Now Bush finally says it's okay to kill the ones who are not only trying to kill our troops but also are training terrorists and insurgents on how to kill our troops. Did Bush not previously want to win this war? Some people Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1164057732955646462006-11-20T16:22:00.000-05:002006-11-20T16:22:13.000-05:00Lord Have Mercy: O.J. Simpson Book, TV Special CanceledMy faith in humanity may yet be restored.The fact that such a book would be published -- and would sell very well -- and the fact that such an interview would be conducted -- and be widely viewed by millions -- showed how shallow we have become as a society. But this latest news offers some hope.On a side note, when OJ was on trial in 1995, IStaunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1161715052341953692006-10-24T14:37:00.000-04:002006-10-24T16:37:51.090-04:00Free Speech: In case anybody cares, I'll be voting a split ticket for the midterm Congressional elections.First and foremost, as a Northern Virginia resident, I will be voting for Jim Webb for Senate. Mr. Webb is a former Republican recently turned Democrat who is running on a platform that the war in Iraq was a horrible mistake and that we should actively seek to withdraw quickly. And on that, IStaunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1160428788132258552006-10-09T17:15:00.000-04:002006-10-09T17:19:48.163-04:00Bombed: North Korea defies the world and purportedly ignites its first nuclear bomb. How does the world react? I think this picture of South Korean lawmakers sums it up best.I can't tell you what their signs say, or what they are chanting. But it's sad how all politicians project the same bland, stoic, uninspiring image the world over. I don't know what message world leaders are trying to send Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1160164701225115632006-10-06T15:57:00.000-04:002006-10-06T15:58:21.246-04:00Not So Stiff: Here's a good omen for Democrats. I was talking to a girl I know, who always seemed to be a Reagan-worshipping conservative in the past, about the current GOP travails. She responded with, "Hey! I'm not a starch Republican."I guess they're losing support. And maybe I should change the name of my blog.Back to work ...Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1159907749031299092006-10-03T16:35:00.000-04:002006-10-03T16:35:49.053-04:00Unsatisfactory: Mark Foley is a sick puppy, we all know that. Instead of just accepting this, Republicans feel they need to mount some sort of counterattack. So they complain about how this is a last-minute surprise before the upcoming midterm elections.Something like this seems to happen every election year. It usually involves a legitimate scandal, such as this one with Foley and his sexual Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1159288111071030922006-09-26T12:28:00.000-04:002006-09-26T12:28:31.093-04:00... and back down the drain: Now Rep. Rangel and other Democrats are promising to cut funding to the war in Iraq if Democrats gain control of the House. I know Rangel isn't the Democratic House leader, and I know this would never actually come to pass if the Dems got control. But it's still sad to see reasoned debate plop back into the toilet.Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1158871316697172332006-09-21T16:41:00.000-04:002006-09-21T16:41:56.720-04:00Wow! The Drudge Report has clips of Rep. Charles Rangel and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lambasting Hugo Chavez. Two of the most shrill and outspoken critics of Bush have recognized that a foreign leader, or "thug" as Pelosi calls him, has crossed way over the line.That is fantastic. That isn't even so much a defense of President Bush as just a call for common decency. Pelosi and Rangel areStaunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1158763520577934702006-09-20T10:45:00.000-04:002006-09-20T10:46:36.570-04:00A Bubblin' Crude: Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi praised the Bush administration for using the power of the presidency to quickly bring down gas prices after they temporarily spiked over the summer. She realized that Bush and Cheney's connections and experience with the oil industry gave them an insider's perspective on how to cut the cost of crude.We have two oilmen in the White House. ...Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681896.post-1158612414694540702006-09-18T16:46:00.000-04:002006-09-18T16:46:54.716-04:00Fighting Back: Pope notes the violent history of Islam. Muslims respond by killing a humanitarian nun and burning things.One thing we generally agree about the Islamic terrorists is that they are usually PR savvy. They use global media to their advantage. If a Muslim child gets killed or a milk factory gets destroyed during the course of Western military activity, they exploit it -- even as the Staunch Moderatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12165293680645097765noreply@blogger.com0