The Rational Inquirer

I’ll Take Black History Month For $1000, Alex.

2007-02-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

February is the shortest month of the year. Just twenty-eight days during the winter solstice when the nights are still longer than the days, when the winds blow, snow falls and we endure some of the...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

A Tale of Two Merediths

2006-12-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is a story of two families named Meredith. The story arc for one family peaked on a long night in September of 1962. For the other family, it might have peaked on December 4, 2006. What they...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Note Passing in Iraq Study Hall

2006-12-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

"Psssst, Leon, Leon, my man, Leeeee-ooonnnnn... pssssssst pass this to Alan. Oh, it's nothing. I just had a question about the assignment. I was a little confused about what we're supposed to do....

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Barack Obama and Michael Richards: When Worlds Collide

2006-11-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hy·per·bo·le (hī-pûr'bə-lē) n.A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton. [Latin hyperbolē, from Greek...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

When the Janjaweed Come...

2006-11-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

When the Janjaweed come, death is not far away. First come the government planes, bombing. To scare the people out into the open from their villages. Then come the Janjaweed. They swoop in, on...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

The Toll Continues to Rise

2006-11-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Four more US soldiers died in Iraq. That brings the total for November to 45. We're halfway through the month and if this pace continues, sadly approximately 90 soldiers and marines will lose their...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

A Michigan-sized Mistake

2006-11-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

There are some voters in California who remember voting for Proposition 13. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Property taxes were soaring and Prop 13 promised to bring necessary relief. It...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Fire Abizaid: It's Time For Him to Go

2006-11-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

After watching Army General John Abizaid testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I think it's time for him to step down as the head of CentCom, the US Central Command. General Abizaid...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

What Defines A Civil War?

2006-11-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Iraqi Police Linked to Mass Abduction Read the full story at The Washington Post I read the news today. Oh boy. When armed gunmen entered the Ministry of Higher Education in downtown Baghdad, they...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Can't a Brother Catch a Break?

2006-11-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

From BET.com Black voters won one and maybe lost one. If you read Retha Hill's commentary on the results of the midterm election, you get the same old rhetoric about the Democratic party mistreats...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Yep, Father Knows Best, Dubya

2006-11-12T23:52:00.001-07:00

Check out the article at Newsweek: Father Knows Best You know everyone goes through that recalcitrant stage growing up. We ignore sage advice, take risks that endanger ourselves and sometimes...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

The Bush Doctrine: Incompetence is Good Government

2006-11-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Iraqi Prime Minister Promises Government Shake-Up Read the whole story at the New York Times Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister, has promised a sweeping shake-up of his government to rid...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Rahm's Lullaby

2006-11-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Read the full story at The House That Rahm Built from the Chicago Tribune Rahm Emanuel has supplanted Karl Rove as "the Architect" with the stunning Democratic sweep of House seats in the last...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

A Plan of Action for Iraq

2006-11-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Washington Post: Pentagon to Reevaluate Strategy and Goals in Iraq With the election over, Democrats in charge of the House and the Senate, and finally with Republicans saying, "Now you guys are in...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

You Can't Cure Homosexuality

2006-11-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am one who believes Ted Haggard, the minister caught in a gay-sex scandal, got what was coming to him. Haggard ministered to his fellow evangelicals by decrying gays and the gay lifestyle,...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Ed Bradley, CBS News

2006-11-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ed Bradley passed away today. We will miss him. If you need to ask, "Ed Who?" you must be either very, very young or have never owned a television or radio. Ed Bradley was (and will remain) a pillar...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Rumsfeld Should Publicly Apologize

2006-11-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

We were hoping it would happen. Rumsfeld quit. Resigned. Was asked to consider an early retirement. Was given the old "Heave, ho! Man overboard!" It's about damn time. Donald Rumsfeld owes the...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Change is coming

2006-11-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

The dust has almost settled and as it does, the Democrats have control of the House of Representatives, and will, in a few hours, reveal that the Democrats also won the Senate. As a Democrat -- and a...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Day of Reckoning is Here

2006-11-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

Voters often use the phrase, "We'll remember in November." Well, this year it appears that the Democrats not only remembered, but they showed up en force to make their point. Pundits say it's all...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Dear Election Fairy,

2006-11-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have been a good Democrat all year (and last year, too!) I know that in 2004 I set my sights just a little too high -- but could you blame me? After we came so close in 2000, only to have the...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

The Dukes of Haggard

2006-11-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ted Haggard was fired from his church over the weekend after their investigation -- still on-going -- confirmed that he had committed some "sexually immoral acts." Haggard sent his congregation a...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Saddam Verdict Nothing to Celebrate

2006-11-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

The verdict in the Saddam Hussein show trial is nothing to celebrate. I know that few will agree with that statement today, but I expect those opinions to change. Perhaps in the coming weeks, we may...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Morning Quickie: It's the Economy, Stupid

2006-11-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Bush Administration was tripping over each other to congratulate themselves for the quarterly unemployment numbers; at 4.4 percent, it's a new 5 year low. And they cheered for the...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Family Values and Values Voters

2006-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

The story is just beginning to unfold, but if true, the allegations against Rev. Ted Haggard, former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, have to leave so-called "values voters"...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.

Long Day's Journey Into Election Night

2006-11-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday will be the longest day of the year. A long day at polling places across the country and a long night as votes are counted and recounted and contested and challenged. We may know in the early...

Smart political commentary from a liberal viewpoint. Not a rant, but a conversation.