Post-Specter Bolt: Lessons Learned? Nah.

Two days after Arlen Specter announced he was leaving the Republican Party to join the Democrats, and one day after Olympia Snowe published an op-ed in the New York Times urging the GOP leadership to “confront and learn from the devaluation of diversity within the party that contributed to his defection,” it’s business as usual [...]

Regional or National ?

Hmm-m-m-m.  So the Repubs are going to get a group of old blood Repubs together and go around the country, meeting with hand-picked, like-thinking  folks to try and put a new face on the tired, worn-out party of small government. Out-of-step with what the public is clamoring for – well maybe not exactly clamoring, but [...]

30 April

April 30, 1941 – Racial legislation enacted at Zagreb, Croatia, by the pro-German government removes Jews from public office.  Croat law holds that people with just one Jewish parent are protected from deportation. April 30, 1942 – The Jews of Pinsk, Poland, are ordered to establish a ghetto within one day.  Twenty thousand Jews will [...]

How can Movement Conservatives win?

Maha has, as usual, a thoughtful piece here. It seems as if the radical right has marginalized themselves.  The “Party of NO.”  And they apparently are willing to continue to say that government spending is harmful, cut taxes and let big business get us out of the mess the lack of regulation got us into. [...]

29 April

April 29, 1942 – A German truck that refuels near Lodz (Poland) Ghetto carries luggage belonging to “resettled” Jews who have already been murdered at the Chelmno death camp. April 29, 1943 – Near Krakow, Poland, Jewish women attack their male SS guards while being transferred from one prison to another.  Two women escape but [...]

28 April

April 28, 1939 – Hitler offers a mocking response to United States President Franklin roosevelt’s April 15  request to respect the independence of European nations. April 28, 1943 – An official SS telegram instructs the administration at Auschwitz to prepare 120 women for medical experiments.

27 April

April 27, 1940 – British Foreign Office official H. F. Downie argues that the Jews are “enemies just as the Germans are, but in a more insidious way,” and that “our two sets of enemies [Nazis and Jews] are linked together by secret and evil bonds.” April 27, 1941 – Germany completes the conquest of [...]

Obama More Popular Than Ever After First 100 Days

According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, his approval rating is a robust 69%. On the torture issue Americans are about evenly split, overall, on whether torture is ever justified, on whether Pres. Obama was right to release the OLC torture memos, and on whether a formal investigation is called for. However, as you [...]

Frank Rich on “Quarantining Evil”

It’s hard for people to accept that evil can sometimes come in packages with very ordinary wrapping:

26 April

April 26, 1942 – The Reichstag grants Hitler full authority in executive, legislative, and judicial matters. April 26, 1945 – May 3, 1945 – Survivors of the concentration camp at Sutthof, Poland, are evacuated by sea to Lubeck, Germany, a journey of more than 300 miles.  Hundreds perish during the seven day voyage.