I seem to be making a (small) cottage industry replying here and here to Jonathan Rauch’s arguments in his freebie book Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy, which casts a longing backwards look at the good old days on Capitol Hill, when House Speaker Sam Rayburn’s words…
Author: Alan Vanneman
Chaos in the House? Nothing to see here, folks. Move along, move along
How can you tell when conservatives (or anyone else, really) are really frightened? Whey they pretend that something that is a very big deal is not a very big deal. Ramesh Ponnuru illustrates this point beautifully when he “explains” that there are two things to keep in mind now that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy…
I predicted this!
Well, I did. A year ago I wrote a tongue in cheek piece on blimps, noting that, every ten years or so, we’re told that “they’re coming back.” And then, a year or so later, we’re told “not yet.” The latest “not yet” misadventure has cost the U.S. tax payer $2.7 billion, as anti-missile blimps…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here “That is so gay.” “Hey, big boy! Where’s your suit?” “Definitely a Taurus.” “On the other hand, his French is impeccable.” “They say his wife is a real cow.” “Apparently, his family owns half of Herefordshire.” “All hat and no cattle, as we say back home.” “Well, the fertilizer business isn’t exactly…
Extreme poverty to hit a new low; Bernie Sanders doesn’t give a shit
Have you heard? The percentage of the global population living on less than $1.90 per day will fall to 9.6 percent this year, the lowest it’s ever been, according to the World Bank. But Bernie “I don’t give a shit” Sanders doesn’t give a shit. Bernie’s too worried about this crazy Trans-Pacific Partnership that the…
Alan Vanneman and George F. Will, Soul Brothers
How many postings have I devoted to ridiculing George F. Will? Well, count ‘em for yourself. But today George and I are one, as he delivers a heart-felt paean to the Hubble telescope’s replacement, the “James Webb,” which, according to George—and who would doubt him!—will be as big as a tennis court. In his column,…
Monk’s Dream Trio—“Raise Four”
https://youtu.be/RC8zcfWbkWQ “Raise Four” is one of the last of Thelonious Monk’s compositions to see the light of day, appearing on the “Underground” album for Columbia. Performed here by Chris Potter, piano, D Chŏkroun, bass, Don Fraser, drums, Vancouver, 2014.1 Posted by thesystemlovesit. I hope this is right. There seems to be more than one “Monk’s…
Jonathan Rauch has words of wisdom
A couple of weeks ago I waxed witty at the expense of Washington author Jonathan Rauch in a snappy piece titled “Jonathan Rauch has words of wisdom. Or not.”. Well, that was then, that is, that was before House Speaker John Boehner fell on his sword out of sheer frustration with the Tea Party’s incessant…
Barack Obama to Dick Cheney: “Hey, maybe we aren’t so different after all!”
Daniel Larison explains what a huge liar our president is here, pointing to the president’s pronounced regret that the U.S. and its allies didn’t do “more” in Libya after dislodging long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi: “In his U.N. speech, Obama lamely tried to spin the problems in post-intervention Libya as a result of not doing enough…
Hillary Clinton—She’s just like you!
“It was a design of my friend Donna Karan.”