Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines http://www.truthdig.com/ Truthdig, a Web magazine that provides expert in-depth coverage of current affairs as well as a variety of thoughtful, provocative content assembled from a progressive point of view. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. en editor@truthdig.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-10T08:40:45+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/http://www.truthdig.com/images/rss_feed_promo.gifTruthdig.com logo This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Romney’s Overriding Ambition http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/Hk_hcU4Bxnk/ http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/romneys_overriding_ambition_20120210/ 2012, afghanistan, campaign, congress, economy, eugene robinson, gop, government, iran, mitt romney, money, obama, politics, speech, By Eugene Robinson

Criticism of Mitt Romney for lacking a coherent message is grossly unfair. He has been forthright, consistent and even eloquent in pressing home his campaign’s central theme: Mitt Romney desperately wants to be president.


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]]> Criticism of Mitt Romney for lacking a coherent message is grossly unfair. He has been forthright, consistent and even eloquent in pressing home his campaign’s central theme: Mitt Romney desperately wants to be president. 2012-02-10T08:40:45+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/romneys_overriding_ambition_20120210/ Embracing ‘Enough’ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/WOpVIdOmlyk/ http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/embracing_enough_20120210/ congress, david sirota, gop, government, money, republicans, wall street, war, By David Sirota

Of all the no-no’s in contemporary America—and there are many—none has proven more taboo than the ancient doctrine of dayenu.


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]]> Of all the no-no’s in contemporary America—and there are many—none has proven more taboo than the ancient doctrine of dayenu. 2012-02-10T08:38:09+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/embracing_enough_20120210/ Flock This Way http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/3bPqDhjzctQ/ http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/flock_this_way_20120210/ abortion, catholic church, catholics, choice, contraception, health, health care, health care reform, mike luckovich, obama, obamacare, politics, religion, By Mike Luckovich

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]]> 2012-02-10T08:25:43+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/flock_this_way_20120210/ Perfection http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/Tep2LbZNdZE/ http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/perfection_20120210/ mr. fish, noam chomsky, Mr. Fish's Cartoons By Mr. Fish

Noam Chomsky with boobies

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]]> 2012-02-10T08:14:25+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/perfection_20120210/ ‘Crazy Horse’: A Study in Erotic Abstraction http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/DSyGugOmH3Y/ http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/crazy_horse_a_study_in_erotic_abstraction_20120209/ burlesque, crazy horse, documentary, frederick wiseman, paris, strip club, stripper, ziegfield follies, Film Review

The cabaret’s women are half-naked so much of the time that they are, as it were, clothed in their own nudity. More significantly, I think, the show often presents them very abstractly. In particular, the lighting presents this or that aspect of their bodies in such a way that they lose all particularity. They are not, in these representations, “women,” but are “woman.”

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]]> The cabaret’s women are half-naked so much of the time that they are, as it were, clothed in their own nudity. More significantly, I think, the show often presents them very abstractly. In particular, the lighting presents this or that aspect of their bodies in such a way that they lose all particularity. They are not, in these representations, “women,” but are “woman.” 2012-02-10T06:19:16+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/crazy_horse_a_study_in_erotic_abstraction_20120209/ Political Divide http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/iav-OUbD4dk/ http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/political_divide_20120209/ alan abramowitz, book, democracy, disconnect, morris. p. fiorina, polarization, review, samuel j. abrams, the disappearing center, the polarized public, thomas byrne edsall, Book Review By Thomas Byrne Edsall

Are voters as polarized as their elected officials? The question, which has serious implications in an election year, has put political scientists at loggerheads in several new and recent books.

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]]> By Thomas Byrne Edsall Are voters as polarized as their elected officials? The question, which has serious implications in an election year, has put political scientists at loggerheads in several new and recent books. 2012-02-10T05:21:36+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/political_divide_20120209/ Judge Puts Heart Into Prop. 8 Ruling http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/fKAQalf6mEM/ http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/judge_puts_heart_into_prop_8_ruling_20120209/ frank sinatra, gay marriage, gay rights, groucho marx, homophobia, judge, prop 8, proposition 8, same-sex marriage, shakespeare, stephen reinhardt, Bill Boyarsky's Columns By Bill Boyarsky

In throwing out California’s notorious Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, appellate Judge Stephen Reinhardt showed the heart of a romantic and humor in a ringing defense of the often-scorned institution of marriage.


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]]> In throwing out California’s notorious Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, appellate Judge Stephen Reinhardt showed the heart of a romantic and humor in a ringing defense of the often-scorned institution of marriage. 2012-02-09T23:19:00+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/judge_puts_heart_into_prop_8_ruling_20120209/ Silent State: Washington’s Campaign Against Whistle-Blowers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/eAY-Te672i0/ http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/silent_state_washingtons_campaign_against_whistleblowers_20120209/ cia, classified, daniel davis, department of justice, espionage act, foreign service, fso, john kiriakou, pentagon, peter van buren, robert macclean, silent state, state department, thomas drake, tomdispatch, tomgram, torture, washington d.c., we meant well, whistleblower, By Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch

There can be little doubt that government retaliation against whistle-blowers is not an isolated event, nor even an agency-by-agency practice. The number of cases in play suggests an organized strategy to deprive Americans of knowledge of the more disreputable things their government does.


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]]> By Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch There can be little doubt that government retaliation against whistle-blowers is not an isolated event, nor even an agency-by-agency practice. The number of cases in play suggests an organized strategy to deprive Americans of knowledge of the more disreputable things their government does. 2012-02-09T20:01:37+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/silent_state_washingtons_campaign_against_whistleblowers_20120209/ Congressional Insider Trading Bill Clears House http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/p28vc841-AI/ http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/insider_trading_bill_makes_it_past_house_hurdle_20120209/ eric cantor, house of representatives, insider trading, state of the union,

Looks like that request President Obama made, in last month’s State of the Union address, to send him a bill to sign that would restrict members of Congress from taking financial liberties in their own investment activities wasn’t just a passing reference to score points with the public.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a modified version of a bill that would hold congresspeople accountable for information they might pick up on the job that could be used to inflate their financial portfolios. Next stop: the Senate, where the measure might run into some resistance from lawmakers seeking more stringent standards.  —KA

Los Angeles Times:

The legislation is the most ambitious effort in years to clamp down on the personal business dealings of lawmakers, and was beefed up to cover executive branch appointees and employees.
 
[...] “It is unacceptable for anyone, any elected official, or their staff, to profit from information that is not available to the public,” said Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the majority leader who led passage of the House version. It was overwhelmingly approved Thursday 417-2.

Read more

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]]> Looks like that request President Obama made, in last month’s State of the Union address, to send him a bill to sign that would restrict members of Congress from taking financial liberties in their own investment activities wasn’t just a passing reference to score points with the public. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a modified version of a bill that would hold congresspeople accountable for information they might pick up on the job that could be used to inflate their financial portfolios. Next stop: the Senate, where the measure might run into some resistance from lawmakers seeking more stringent standards.  —KA Los Angeles Times: The legislation is the most ambitious effort in years to clamp down on the personal business dealings of lawmakers, and was beefed up to cover executive branch appointees and employees.   [...] “It is unacceptable for anyone, any elected official, or their staff, to profit from information that is not available to the public,” said Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the majority leader who led passage of the House version. It was overwhelmingly approved Thursday 417-2. Read more 2012-02-09T19:03:45+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/insider_trading_bill_makes_it_past_house_hurdle_20120209/ Steve Jobs, According to the FBI http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Truthdig/~3/hGr0DMCqKu8/ http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/steve_jobs_according_to_the_fbi_20120209/ agency, apple, fbi, george h. w. bush, intelligence, president, reality, steve jobs,

Since his death last year, we’ve heard plenty of lionizing and denigrating takes on Steve Jobs and his challenging leadership style, but we can now add the FBI’s character sketch of the late Apple founder, circa the George H.W. Bush era, to that mix, thanks to the details of a background check the bureau was obliged to make available to the public this week.  —KA

Computerworld:

The documents, released by the FBI after the Wall Street Journal filed a Freedom of Information Act request, also detailed an 1985 investigation of a bomb and extortion threat against Apple.

[...] The FBI fanned out across the country during the investigation, with agents involved from field offices in several states. Jobs’ next-door and nearby neighbors were also interviewed.

Most of the people questioned by the FBI gave Jobs glowing recommendations, but some did not.

“Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs’ honesty, stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals,” the FBI reported.

Jobs was famous for what many called his “reality distortion field,” a phrase first coined by an Apple developer in 1981 to describe Jobs’ ability to convince people that seemingly impossible tasks were, in fact, possible.

Others among the scores interviewed described Jobs as “deceptive,” “strong willed,” “stubborn” and “driven.”

Read more

 

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]]> Since his death last year, we’ve heard plenty of lionizing and denigrating takes on Steve Jobs and his challenging leadership style, but we can now add the FBI’s character sketch of the late Apple founder, circa the George H.W. Bush era, to that mix, thanks to the details of a background check the bureau was obliged to make available to the public this week.  —KA Computerworld: The documents, released by the FBI after the Wall Street Journal filed a Freedom of Information Act request, also detailed an 1985 investigation of a bomb and extortion threat against Apple. [...] The FBI fanned out across the country during the investigation, with agents involved from field offices in several states. Jobs’ next-door and nearby neighbors were also interviewed. Most of the people questioned by the FBI gave Jobs glowing recommendations, but some did not. “Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs’ honesty, stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals,” the FBI reported. Jobs was famous for what many called his “reality distortion field,” a phrase first coined by an Apple developer in 1981 to describe Jobs’ ability to convince people that seemingly impossible tasks were, in fact, possible. Others among the scores interviewed described Jobs as “deceptive,” “strong willed,” “stubborn” and “driven.” Read more   2012-02-09T18:21:42+00:00 http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/steve_jobs_according_to_the_fbi_20120209/