Differences

It’s ironic that officials are giving classified information to journalists in an effort to discredit me for giving classified information to journalists. The difference is that I did so to inform the public about the government’s actions, and they’re doing so to misinform the public about mine. —Edward Snowden

Recent Favorite Links

Probably best to open them all in tabs and browse around…. Great summary statement Really got me thinking Source documents (pdf) Breathtakingly good writing, a futuristic background Taking the other side Responding to Lanier Considering the 1971 decision Robert Baird bring in the Language poets Interesting comments from Zbigniew Brzezinski

Co-ops, L3Cs, and Hybrid LLC/Co-ops

I wrote a comment to Don’s post, but it was too long for Blogger to accept…. I have a close friend who started one of the first VT L3Cs a couple of years ago, and his intent was to signal that they weren’t out to get rich but to do something interesting and useful that […]

Clay Shirky on Governance Models

Noted for the future: Chris Heuer interviews writer and speaker Clay Shirky. The important moment for me come in at around 10:15, continuing to the end, where he desires a new model for governance and corporate structures. He wants a co-op model, but doesn’t know it yet. I plan to educate him.

Crusty old out-of-it white guy

History Train: “It really will say something about this country if Obama, with all his intellect, his verbal gifts and his strategic canniness, ends up losing to a crusty old out-of-it white guy who left his principles in the dumpster years ago and has nothing to offer this country but the chance for conservatives to […]

Obama’s Electoral Map

Must read for any political junkie. via Dave Winer

Summary of political pundantry today

In only four minutes! Matt Yglesias: “Conservative radio host Kevin James is on Hardball to call Barack Obama and appeaser, and Chris Matthews hits upon the nice idea of asking James to explain what it was that Chamberlain did wrong at Munich. As becomes apparent, James has no idea! He just likes to say “appeasement” […]

US politics snapshot, all you need to know edition

Henninger/Wall Street Journal Halperin/Time/CNN Sullivan/Atlantic Drew/Politico Ambinder/Atlantic

Moving On

A smart take on the super-delgates: Superdelegates can worry about the party, or they can preen and carry on about the importance of their role. They can’t do both. The only thing the Clinton and Obama campaigns agree on is that neither can secure the nomination with pledged delegates alone. So the uncommitted superdelegates wringing […]

You Can’t Be Serious

From the middle section of a longer interview with the rapper DMX: Are you following the presidential race? Not at all. You’re not? You know there’s a Black guy running, Barack Obama and then there’s Hillary Clinton. His name is Barack?! Barack Obama, yeah. Barack?! Barack. What the fuck is a Barack?! Barack Obama. Where […]

A Call for Journalistic Courage

Important essay by Walter Pincus on the role of the press in a free society: Today’s mainstream print and electronic media want to be neutral, unbiased and objective, presenting both or all sides as if they were on the sidelines refereeing a game in which only the players—the government and its opponents—can participate. They have […]

Olbermann Goes Off On Clinton

OMG awesome liberal screed against racism being promulgated by the Clinton campaign. Ten minutes of literate rage like you haven’t ever seen on TV. Finally, someone with a pulpit speaks the truth.

Strategic Wasteland

Huffingtonpost: Now, however, as Obama has gained steadily in the polls, the Clinton campaign has reversed field. Top Clinton aides are pleading with uncommitted super delegates to hold off making any commitments, fearful that any commitments they make would be to back Obama, not Clinton. In language that could have been lifted from the Obama […]

Reactionaries

Texas A & M students shut down a major highway as they march seven miles from campus to vote, where the Republican political machine had located the polls. I love YouTube.

Blueprint for Change

A lot of people say, “I don’t know what Barack Obama stands for; he’s all vague and lofty and aspirational. What are his actual policies?” Well, he’s got this thing called a website, maybe you’ve seen one? Even better, here’s a 64-page pdf you can download and print out and read in the water closet […]

Clinton’s Feminism

NY Times: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton had a teary-eyed moment on the campaign trail today during a nostalgic visit to Yale, where she graduated from law school nearly 35 years ago. […] Mrs. Clinton, looking teary, raised her left hand to her cheek and brushed something away with her finger. Wow, teary-eyed, the very day […]

On Politics

Worth it: Kennedy Endorsements of Barack Obama (42 min, and worth it) The Billary Road to Republican Victory Races Entering Complex Phase Over Delegates In Open Nomination, ‘Superdelegates’ May Hold Key to Victory Clinton’s Camp Seeks Gentler Role for Ex-President Changing The Rules TPMtv: Sunday Show Clinton Pile-On (Snark alert)

Bill Clinton uncut

A fascinating CNN video of Bill Clinton, running nearly five minutes, uncut. The reporter asks him a question, and he just goes on and on, and on. He’s pissed, but he smiles, and talks and rebuts, and all in all gets down and does some hard-core political jiving. This video supports my long-held belief that […]

Sigh

Oh well. It’s not over yet. About the polls: IMHO “Strategic” voting doesn’t work. Vote for who you want to win. Trying to game the system always fails. Net-net: The Republicans are relieved, they might get to run against Clinton in the fall. She would lose in a Clinton vs. McCain contest. Finally, they didn’t […]

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