tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89342071862794321692012-01-11T11:24:55.226-05:00Daily comments and views on global, national and local politics from veteran radio talk radio host, Mark Riley (USA).Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-19216143578372230082008-12-12T08:40:00.003-05:002008-12-12T09:06:31.345-05:00

To almost no one's surprise, the Senate couldn't agree on a compromise plan to provide $14 billion dollars in loans to GM and Chrysler. The Upper House voted 52-35 to bring the measure for a vote, but that was 8 short of the 60 needed to move the bill forward. As was the case in the financial bailout, it was Republicans turning on their own president that doomed this bill. Bush managed a

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-37159023352739100592008-12-11T08:15:00.002-05:002008-12-11T08:39:52.179-05:00

With all the unemployed Americans facing tough times, it's just galling to know that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich went back to work yesterday, and shows no sign that he's thinking of quitting. As the details of the case against him come into sharper focus, it's also obvious why he's staying. It's his only leverage against what looks now like a long stretch in prison stripes. Again, the man

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-55989332123496276672008-12-10T08:13:00.003-05:002008-12-10T08:31:42.808-05:00

Now that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has made himself the poster boy for political greed, avarice, and just plain stupidity, it may be time to sit back and contemplate just what kind of people we elect to public office in this country. To do that properly, we have to take a look at just what this "reform" governor from Illinois has allegedly done. For sheer gall, it makes NFL miscreants

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-90621793655241263372008-12-09T07:55:00.002-05:002008-12-09T08:18:56.378-05:00

We've been seeing and hearing about shuttered factories, businesses, and laid off workers with frightening frequency lately. And so the closing of Republic Doors and Windows on Chicago's North Side might have escaped our attention, except for one thing. Workers there decided to occupy the factory. In doing so, they've become national news, even earning praise from Chicago's favorite son, Barack

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-52826838648371501402008-12-08T07:58:00.002-05:002008-12-08T08:44:35.725-05:00

The issue has been on the down low, and the concern has been incremental. Does Barack Obama really represent the change he talked about during the campaign? For some liberals/progressives, the answer is at best hazy, and at worst no. The president-elect's cabinet choices, and his switch on reversing tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year are giving some folks pause. For his part,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-87619915293552239232008-12-05T08:22:00.003-05:002008-12-05T08:52:17.455-05:00

The transit commission empaneled by Gov. David Paterson here in New York has come back with a report that, while promising bus and subway riders a break, is being met with skepticism by that same public. The plan would drastically cut the amount of a fare increase, from 23% to 8%. Plugging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's yawning budget gap would fall to two major revenue generators.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-826879602202418672008-12-05T08:22:00.000-05:002008-12-05T08:23:13.096-05:00

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-74101694155979066442008-12-04T08:47:00.003-05:002008-12-04T09:12:49.722-05:00

We saw an item recently about Hardball's Chris Matthews thinking about running in 2010 for the Pennsylvania seat in the US Senate now held by Arlen Specter. Didn't think much about it at the time. Now it seems he's serious. He's reportedly shopping for a house in the state where he was born. It's also true that he's harbored a boyhood dream to be a senator. I've always wanted to be a subway

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-77310895674718391682008-12-03T09:09:00.002-05:002008-12-03T09:34:43.486-05:00

The Big Three came back to Washington Tuesday, and this time they seem to have gotten the message about those corporate jets. Now the only question is whether Congress will buy their plea for a bailout before one or more of them goes broke. Instead of the $25 billion they were asking for just two weeks ago, GM, Ford, and Chrysler want $34 billion. But hey, what's $9 billion among friends?Detroit

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-43517090780904939392008-12-02T08:26:00.002-05:002008-12-02T08:54:10.135-05:00

By now most people know that New York Giants star wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself with a gun he was carrying in a New York nightclub in the wee hours of last Saturday morning. The media frenzy that followed as entirely predictable. Burress has had trouble follow throughout his pro career, but nothing quite like this. On Monday, he was arraigned on a pair of felony weapons charges that

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-65809086512547912232008-12-01T08:43:00.002-05:002008-12-01T09:09:13.260-05:00

As President-Elect Obama rolls out his national security team Monday, the Big Three automakers are preparing for their second plea to Congress for money. You may remember their first trip to DC didn't turn out so well. Not only did they come to then nation's capital in private jets, they came without a plan about how they'd spend the money if they got it. The money in this case is $25 billion

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-66428631797345864702008-11-28T09:36:00.003-05:002008-11-28T09:58:01.511-05:00

The chaos in India's commercial capital of Mumbai continues, and although reports say police are making progress against the terrorists, it's not over after three days of violence. Reports of casualties fluctuate as more are discovered. And the looming question on the minds of people across the globe is who bears responsibility for this carnage. The answer to that question could create an

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-18017497670121846022008-11-26T08:38:00.003-05:002008-11-26T09:02:44.975-05:00

He's a yes man and a panderer, who backed Bush when it suited his purpose and will do the same with Obama. He's on the same page as Obama on a number of broad policy issues, and is the best person to maintain continuity. Yes, both the previous sentences are talking about the same man, Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Make that the once and future defense secretary. Gates will stay on in his

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-48933669836775093352008-11-25T06:40:00.003-05:002008-11-25T07:10:41.585-05:00

A federal judge here in New York City has issued a ruling that's sure to be a topic of discussion in law enforcement and civil liberties circles. The ruling said the government can't use ethnicity as justification for detaining two Arab men questioned for four hours following a cross country flight. The pair sued the government, alleging the detention was unjustified. The judge apparently

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-9906585851545486922008-11-24T08:13:00.000-05:002008-11-24T14:42:02.672-05:00

America wakes Monday morning to the news that one of it's biggest banks, Citigroup, is to be bailed out by the federal government. It's almost as if Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke are operating a pinball machine. First, Uncle Sam was going to buy troubled assets from banks. Then they began putting money directly into these financial institutions. It seems neither

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-46550132613044822862008-11-21T07:50:00.000-05:002008-11-21T08:10:02.409-05:00

I've written blog items before warning about the perilous state of the US economy. However, Paul Krugman in the New York Times writes a piece that really scares me. He talks specifically about the period we're now in, that is, the time between the exit of Bush and the entrance of Obama. if we stand back and look at things objectively, Bush has done little more than thrown obstacles in the way of

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-48390028884444749402008-11-20T08:19:00.000-05:002008-11-20T08:44:06.419-05:00

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised anymore that corporate America is clueless. First there was AIG, with it's lavish conferences, and now the Big Three automakers all fly from Detroit to DC by private jet. For the record, their names are Alan Mulally of Ford, Rick Wagoner of GM, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler. They want $25 billion dollars of taxpayer money or, as Nardelli told Congress, national

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-78369955069707306142008-11-19T08:21:00.000-05:002008-11-19T08:47:13.517-05:00

What is going on here? First Rahm Emanuel gets offered the chief of staff job in the new Obama Administration, and he hesitates before accepting it. Now, after rampant speculation that Senator Hillary Clinton was the odds on choice for secretary of state, she too is hedging her bets. The story was first reported by Politico Tuesday, and it characterizes Senator Clinton as agonizing over whether

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-53126956774130022002008-11-18T07:55:00.000-05:002008-11-18T08:24:15.576-05:00

While the parlor game about whether Hillary Clinton becomes Secretary of State continues, Congress and the Bush Administration play a dangerous game of chicken on two fronts. The emergency bailout for Detroit's Big Three automakers is one, the other is an economic stimulus package. It looks like the latter will have to wait until President-Elect Obama is in office. That's sad, since there is a

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-26256053004128657632008-11-17T08:10:00.000-05:002008-11-17T08:34:42.068-05:00

Of all the subjects covered during the Obama's interview on 60 Minutes, the most fascinating for political junkies had to be whether he'd name Senator Hillary Clinton to his cabinet, specifically Secretary of State. The president-elect was coy, neither confirming nor denying the possibility. The Clinton camp has also not said much. If you look across the arc of the presidential campaign, you'd

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-89513690306885899942008-11-14T08:38:00.000-05:002008-11-14T08:58:22.287-05:00

Wasn't it just 48 hours ago that we heard the lame duck session of Congress would ditch an economic stimulus package in favor of trying to provide $25 billion dollars to help the crippled auto industry? Now there's news the car bailout may not happen. It seems Republicans in the Senate have some problems with helping the so-called Big Three. Far be it from me to agree with them, but GM, Ford, and

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-21004606070052586562008-11-13T08:29:00.000-05:002008-11-13T08:53:46.714-05:00

Let's pray that American corporate culture isn't embodied by the mammoth insurance firm AIG. This company, the recipient of first $85 and then $40 billion dollars from US taxpayers, seems clueless about the crippling effects of the economic downturn on everyday, hard working citizens. How else to explain AIG's secret gathering for financial planners held at a posh resort near Phoenix last week?

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-79050915540326851042008-11-12T10:19:00.000-05:002008-11-12T10:42:08.844-05:00

Now we know why there seems to be so little information available on just how the $700 billion dollar bailout of the financial industry will be doled out. The DC lobbyists, those folks everybody loves to hate, are swarming over the initial outlay like sharks after blood. That's right. The banks, savings and loans, and insurance companies that look to benefit from the bailout package have procured

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-59297414237346943752008-11-11T08:19:00.000-05:002008-11-11T08:41:02.884-05:00

So it seems one of the thorniest problems the incoming Obama Administration must face isn't whether to bail out the auto industry, or even how to distribute the $700 billion dollars that's going to the financial sector. It's what to do about Joe Lieberman, the so-called independent senator from Connecticut. Lieberman, aas we all know, backed John McCain in the presidential race. Not only that, he

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-82371710555775332902008-11-10T08:36:00.000-05:002008-11-10T09:03:03.974-05:00

The Obama family will be meeting the Bush family at the White House today. There will be a tour of the president-elect's new home, and one figures all will be cordial, with plenty of smiles to go around. Yet published reports and statements by the Obama transition team indicate there's another agenda afoot. His advisers are compiling a list of Bush Administration policies that could be reversed

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-90189248138715159632008-11-07T09:13:00.001-05:002008-11-07T09:38:10.700-05:00

If there's one thing I've heard consistently from black Americans since the election of Barack Obama, it's that he'll stand as a role model to young black men. No longer will they have to feel their only pathway to excellence is through hip-hop or athletics . But the question must be asked, haven't there been other black men who have achieved excellence in their chosen fields prior to the

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-73232721822168141472008-11-06T10:48:00.000-05:002008-11-06T11:11:35.606-05:00

It's hard to believe there's almost two and a half months to go before Barack Obama is inaugurated. Already, people and interests are maneuvering, schmoozing, and fighting to curry favor with the new president. There are some hard facts as to appointments. We do know he's offered Rahm Emanuel the job of chief of staff. He's also got the outlines of a transition team in place. He knows he's got to

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-37025695130629418522008-11-05T08:25:00.000-05:002008-11-05T08:47:04.676-05:00

There will be much analysis of Barack Obama's historic victory last night. How he pulled off wins in states that usually vote Republican. How his campaign ignored the skeptics, stuck to its course, and has now been vindicated. It's all true, and it's all good. Yet this campaign has been about a story, uniquely American story that ought to be told to generations who are now too young to vote.It

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-19624970022378080222008-11-04T08:07:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:27:49.461-05:00

So, it's Election Day across America. I woke up this morning with a knot in my stomach. It's a familiar thing, one that comes when I think something should happen, will happen, but may not. I woke up with that same knot back in 1989, when David Dinkins became New York City's first black mayor. I felt it again four years later, when he lost by a razor thin margin to Rudy Giuliani. Forget 2000.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-48836695549211760182008-11-03T07:56:00.000-05:002008-11-03T08:11:39.910-05:00

First, many thanks to all of you who have posted, e-mailed, texted, and phoned your condolences on the loss of my brother Clayton. He wanted so much to live to see Tuesday's election. His spirit will be watching over all that happens.The eve of this 2008 presidential election feels more and more like the night before Christmas. Never in my lifetime have I seen such interest and excitement about

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-43563861988030883752008-10-24T23:14:00.000-04:002008-10-24T23:15:41.156-04:00

I won't be blogging for about a week. My brother Clayton passed away early this morning. I will miss him terribly.Mark

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-78412403650832252812008-10-23T09:21:00.001-04:002008-10-23T09:21:40.586-04:00

Not feeling well today. Back tomorrow.Mark

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-49255678454867202642008-10-22T10:40:00.000-04:002008-10-22T11:11:45.251-04:00

We've bee hearing quite a bit lately about America. Most of it is coming from Republican lugnuts trying to whip up an us-against-them frenzy as the election cycle comes to a close. There's pro- American (them), anti-American (anybody who disagrees with them), and real American (as opposed to unreal American?). As one might expect, Sarah Palin started this nonsense when she characterized one part

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-26364286297148950722008-10-21T08:05:00.000-04:002008-10-21T08:25:12.049-04:00

As the McCain campaign flails around like a fighter trying to land a lucky punch on Barack Obama, the dreaded word socialist began to be used to describe Obama's tax policies. It came from Obama's comment about "spreading the wealth around". McCain's people figured that was the opening they needed to cast Obama as someone who would take money from those who earned it and give it to those who

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-849886929438343582008-10-20T08:13:00.000-04:002008-10-20T08:31:07.554-04:00

So Colin Powell did what many expected him to do, endorse Barack Obama. Yet it was the way he did so that spoke volumes about where this campaign is now, little more than two weeks away. Say what you will about the former Secretary of State. His words on Meet the Press Sunday should resonate far beyond the current election. The McCain people, as expected, went on the Sunday talk show circuit to

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-42004286101649413682008-10-17T10:51:00.000-04:002008-10-17T11:13:14.009-04:00

He's worked for the last three Republican presidents. His credentials on foreign policy and national security (with the notable exception of the Iraq war) are unassailable. He's Colin Powell, and there's increased speculation he'll make an endorsement for president, perhaps during an appearance on "Meet the Press" Sunday. Speculation is he'll back Barack Obama, and not John McCain, the man who

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-25667611047127163902008-10-16T10:19:00.000-04:002008-10-16T10:40:19.417-04:00

I thought for a moment I'd missed something. I'd expected last night's third and final presidential debate to include at least one question about the second bank bailout plan put forward by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson just the day before. Silly me! The three guys at the table at Hofstra University last night had other things to discuss. They had to talk about Joe the Plumber!He's this guy,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-16600778582051377902008-10-15T08:32:00.000-04:002008-10-15T08:47:35.079-04:00

By most media accounts, John McCain will have to hit some kind of home run to turn the tables on Barack Obama in tonight's final presidential debate. Obama has brought together his domestic advisors a day early to prepare. McCain and his handlers face a difficult choice and a difficult task. Does he continue the personal attacks that recent polling says isn't working? Or does he face down Obama

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-67709263898696671542008-10-14T08:24:00.000-04:002008-10-14T08:42:27.301-04:00

If you want to know why the stock market rebounded so vigorously on Monday, look no further than good old Uncle Sam. The three headed hydra of the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and Treasury threw everything but the kitchen sink at the financial markets. You need money? No problem. Expanded deposit insurance? You got it. Guarantees on bank debt? Here it is. Capital for healthy banks? Just say the word.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-30878101119391820992008-10-13T10:50:00.000-04:002008-10-13T11:07:55.963-04:00

As the final debate between John McCain and Barack Obama looms large, we hear, as always, an awful lot from the "strategists". Of course, a strategist can be almost anybody with an opinion on what either candidate should do. The loudest noise is coming from those in the McCain camp. His campaign seems to be a bit confused as of late, veering back and forth between ill received economic proposals

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-36172930490277354262008-10-10T09:00:00.000-04:002008-10-10T09:21:42.646-04:00

It's getting close, this presidential election we've all followed for so long. With Barack Obama showing strength in recent polls, the Republican Right has begun begging john McCain to take the gloves off and really go after Barack Obama. That's why you've been hearing Sarah Palin, and now lately McCain himself bring up Obama's alleged friendship with William Ayers. The clear inference is there's

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-77552018694572817022008-10-09T09:05:00.000-04:002008-10-09T09:24:22.678-04:00

Oh, how the media love to tell us things in language that hides what's really going on. Today's headline in the New York Times (the paper of record, you understand) says "US May Take Ownership Stake in Banks". What they mean is, the Treasury Department, newly omnipotent since the bailout bill passed, is going to try to nationalize the American banking system. Notice, however, they don't call it

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-61550157694903688132008-10-08T08:33:00.000-04:002008-10-08T08:50:32.242-04:00

Debate #2 between John McCain and Barack Obama had a different format than the first one. The candidates took questions from the audience in Nashville and from the Internet. Tom Brokaw fretted too many times about how long their answers were. And John McCain came nowhere near scoring the knockout the pundits said he'd need to revive his sagging fortunes. He did have one interesting new proposal.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-36891640663210227502008-10-07T10:47:00.000-04:002008-10-07T11:05:09.162-04:00

It's time for debate #2 between John McCain and Barack Obama. This time around, the stakes have been raised. A flurry of attacks over the weekend first by McCain, then by Obama, could make this the face-off where there are fireworks. It's been common knowledge for awhile now that the Republican standard bearer would try to shift the focus of the campaign from the economy to Obama's character. So

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-7587483271998577432008-10-06T08:43:00.000-04:002008-10-06T09:04:26.434-04:00

It actually started earlier this year (you know, when we weren't in a recession), but the economic maelstrom of the past couple of weeks has caused consumers to rethink spending in some very basic ways. Cars sales are dropping like a stone, causing numbers of dealerships to close up shop. Airline traffic is also slowing, as is discretionary spending on items like electronics and even out of home

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-47872015514149715662008-10-03T08:22:00.000-04:002008-10-03T08:43:17.299-04:00

Only in America could a candidate for high office like Sarah Palin win by not losing like she did last night. Her debate performance evoked comments like "folksy", and "connecting with average people". The fact she made no major errors other than not knowing the name of the US commander on the ground in Afghanistan is seen by some as a victory. Really? Was there anything in her arsenal other

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-58806866173923469752008-10-02T10:32:00.000-04:002008-10-02T11:00:10.231-04:00

Two things on the agenda make this a very special Thursday for political junkies like me. Sarah Palin and Joe Biden meet in their one and only debate in St. Louis. This one has all the trappings and metaphor of a boxing match. Palin comes in with low expectations. If she holds her own, she wins. If Biden is seen as bullying her, she wins. If she can pronounce the name of one world leader (you see

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-45568833679721353452008-10-01T08:45:00.000-04:002008-10-01T09:05:03.544-04:00

I was in on a conference call with Senator Hillary Clinton Tuesday morning when she let drop that the Senate, rather than the House, might vote first on a revised bailout (Did I say bailout? They're calling it rescue) plan. Sure enough, by day's end, that was the plan. That, and a lifting of the insurance on bank deposits by the FDIC from $100,000 to $250,000. In that same conference call,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-73758709969437684792008-09-30T08:06:00.001-04:002008-09-30T08:22:08.914-04:00

In the end, it wasn't just House Republicans who had a problem with the Bush crafted $700 billion dollar bailout of US financial markets. 95, count 'em, 95 Democrats also failed to get on the bus, sending the bill to a crashing defeat. So confident were most people the bill would pass that John McCain was bragging about his role beforehand on the campaign trail. But then, he also placed an ad

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-74833670300195740902008-09-29T08:10:00.000-04:002008-09-29T08:33:30.308-04:00

So they worked all weekend, those cabinet and congress people struggling to craft a bill to bail out the US economy. In the end, they gave Bush something to say at 7:35AM Eastern, when he addressed the nation on the need to get the bill through the House and Senate. It took him all of four minutes. Meanwhile, world markets don't seem impressed. Most are down, and a couple more banks have been

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-2511044857442491122008-09-26T09:22:00.000-04:002008-09-26T09:42:02.466-04:00

America awakes Friday with no more hope that a bailout deal can get done than there was three days ago. Any way you look at it, we've got John McCain and a small group of House Republicans to thank for this mess. Just as it looked like a deal was done early Thursday afternoon, here come House GOP lawmakers, essentially declaring war on a president from their own party. Even worse, John McCain,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-87379890572279071002008-09-25T09:16:00.000-04:002008-09-25T09:32:36.641-04:00

So here's John McCain, down in the latest polls, desperately trying to look like a leader. What does he do? He dramatically suspends his campaign, and says he wants to postpone Friday's debate. I'm sure his boys Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt told him the move would back Barack Obama into a corner. Go along, and McCain looks presidential, a man putting the nation's fiscal woes above his own

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-52763025362565825282008-09-24T09:34:00.000-04:002008-09-24T09:54:03.819-04:00

Tuesday wasn't a great day for last week's financial heroes Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke. They were grilled all day by skeptical members of Congress about their $700 billion dollar bailout of the financial markets. It seems their stubborn desire to get a bill passed free of conditions like caps on CEO salaries, congressional oversight, and such hit a wall. Senate Banking Committee Chair Chris

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-23555891829744036282008-09-23T08:15:00.000-04:002008-09-23T08:38:12.935-04:00

John McCain has made a big deal out of the notion that he supported the troop surge in Iraq, and that the surge has led to a drop in violence there. He's right about the first part, but is he right about the second? For sure the US troops are doing a fine job there, but there's another factor driving the drop in violence McCain won't talk about. It's the emergence of the Awakening Councils,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-17881880158487271502008-09-22T08:39:00.000-04:002008-09-22T08:59:59.025-04:00

So now we have a poll that has put a number on racism in this presidential campaign. According to an AP-Yahoo News poll, that number is 6%. In other words, Barack Obama's support would be as much as 6% higher if he wasn't black. The operative question, then, is whether that 6% is enough to cost him the election. Recent polls, even as they swung back his way, would tend to say yes. However, look

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-24045845990639439002008-09-19T09:30:00.000-04:002008-09-19T09:52:54.696-04:00

While it may be true that the McCain-Palin ticket wants no part of our current president on the stump, they certainly know how to follow his example. The campaign has been quietly trying to quash the Troopergate probe in Palin's home state of Alaska, and the tactics they're using are startlingly similar to those used by the Decider-in-Chief when certain congressional committees wanted to look

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-78139566025990345602008-09-18T08:47:00.000-04:002008-09-18T09:48:18.119-04:00

This early in the day, nobody knows whether the nation's financial markets will rebound from the week's earlier losses. One thing is for sure. Fingers will continue to be pointed and blame assessed. Coming as it has in the middle of a presidential race, both candidates will burn the midnight oil trying to convince the public they have the answer. So why does it feel like most of what people are

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-38718616591381594412008-09-17T08:23:00.000-04:002008-09-17T08:47:34.404-04:00

With the nation's attention focused on the economy (the feds bailed out AIG), it's interesting to note a column by Bob Herbert of the New York Times. He talks about the McCain-Palin agenda for health care, specifically health insurance. To say the plan is an eye opener is an understatement. Herbert says, correctly, that with the focus on lipstick and who invented the BlackBerry, The Republican

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-33145188870712036192008-09-16T08:39:00.000-04:002008-09-16T09:02:33.130-04:00

If you have any doubts that the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the fire sale of Merrill Lynch, and the ongoing woes of AIG don't have global consequences, take a look at the international media. You'll quickly see that financial markets from London to Berlin to Tokyo are shuddering as the Dow lost 504 points yesterday. Most financial experts are saying it will get worse before it gets better.What's

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-41287945496597290532008-09-15T08:16:00.000-04:002008-09-15T08:40:40.259-04:00

The nation awakes Monday morning to the news that one of its most prominent securities firms has filed for bankruptcy. Maybe you've been reading about the troubles Lehman Brothers has been having of late. It came to a head over the weekend, as neither the feds nor a corporate angel was willing to bail the company out. There's more, however. Other prominent firms in the financial sector are also

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-17148638757563108052008-09-12T08:02:00.000-04:002008-09-12T08:24:55.142-04:00

Now we know Sarah Palin is clueless about foreign policy, and even national security. Her answers in the interview with Charlie Gibson on the Bush Doctrine and war with Russia told us that. This is a person who, if elected, would be a heartbeat away from the presidency, and she muddled through an answer about whether the US has the right to send the military into Pakistan without telling them

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-11397913348015917412008-09-11T08:02:00.000-04:002008-09-11T08:17:01.120-04:00

On this, the seventh anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, it should be noted that it took all of 410 days to build the Empire State Building here in New York City. This is significant because in the 77 odd years since that structure was opened, technology has improved, and workers are at least as capable. So why, seven years after 9-11, do we have no permanent structure built on the

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-72534915069734237742008-09-10T09:13:00.000-04:002008-09-10T09:36:38.535-04:00

On the eve of the 7th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, the US is changing strategy in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. In doing so, they're beginning to acknowledge mistakes that some have been pointing out for a long time now. The question is whether they're making other errors in this tactical shift.US, Pakistani, and European officials admit they haven't had a solid lead on bin

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-42941448538529262992008-09-09T10:35:00.000-04:002008-09-09T10:51:03.335-04:00

It was her first campaign stump since the Democratic National Convention, where she clearly hit a home run in asking her supporters to back Barack Obama. Senator Hillary Clinton made several stops across central Florida Monday, but if someone expected her to lower the boom on Sarah Palin, they would have been disappointed. Her former communications director Howard Wolfson said she wouldn't get

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-809911249056406622008-09-08T08:29:00.000-04:002008-09-08T08:52:51.846-04:00

Yeah, I know the presidential sweepstakes kicks off in earnest today. And yeah, Hillary Clinton will be in Florida on behalf of Barack Obama, and Sarah Palin will go on World News Tonight. Still, today we talk local. There's a move afoot in New York City to overturn the will of the voters. Those who would benefit are playing coy, not wanting to discuss it much, for fear of angering the people who

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-15906262607700947932008-09-05T08:47:00.000-04:002008-09-05T09:14:11.328-04:00

I didn't watch all of John McCain's speech Thursday night. Greater minds than mine will decide if he convinced the American public that the best people to clean up the mess Republicans have left this country in are....Republicans! In the meantime,, as people slog their way out of St. Paul and prepared for the 60 day fight to come, I've been observing how America's slumping economy is hurting

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-92160332459652613232008-09-04T08:30:00.000-04:002008-09-04T08:52:40.700-04:00

Sarah Palin had her night in the spotlight at the RNC. Predictably, the last thing I heard before changing the channel was from a cable network commentator gushing, "A star was born tonight"! Oh really? I found Gov. Palin's speech to be nothing less than a passionless, scripted, superficial string of half truths, outright falsehoods, and rehashed attacks on Barack Obama.She spent nearly the first

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-18646632302036660972008-09-03T08:53:00.000-04:002008-09-03T09:11:52.868-04:00

I was doing a little channel surfing, and came across a C-Span show where Michel Martin, host of the NPR program "Tell Me More" was talking to a group of young people. She was making a point that more adults ought to pay attention to, something that's been bothering me ever since I saw an ad for Rush Limbaugh which referred to him as America's most trusted anchorman. There is an increasingly

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-63769243918254369022008-09-02T08:45:00.000-04:002008-09-02T09:08:15.742-04:00

The conventional wisdom is nothing is off limits in a political campaign. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin must know this. That's why she and Sen. John McCain will try to ride out the media storm created by the revelation that her 17 year old daughter Bristol is pregnant. Sen. Barack Obama says his campaign won't make an issue of Bristol's situation. He doesn't have to. The media will do it for him.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-62251447136435990532008-08-29T01:24:00.000-04:002008-08-29T01:28:43.001-04:00

This one's going to be brief. Just got back from Invesco, and Obama's taking of the podium in front of more than 75,000 people almost made me cry. The love from that audience is a once in a lifetime thing in politics. The speech itself almost didn't matter.And I was there.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-56835138339301117802008-08-28T08:34:00.000-04:002008-08-28T08:51:01.512-04:00

Those crafty Clintons! All this time they kept people worried about what they were going to say in their speeches here at the Democratic National Convention. And all the while, the two of them must have been plotting to give Barack Obama the biggest convention boost people have seen in a long time. Bill Clinton seemed like his old self Wednesday night. Gone was the red faced anger so often seen

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-81730435927985819582008-08-27T14:15:00.000-04:002008-08-27T14:32:28.344-04:00

The talk of Tuesday's session of the Democratic National Convention was of course, Hillary Clinton. Would she do right by Barack Obama, or would her most ardent supporters still have reason to either sit out the election or vote for John McCain? We got our answer last night. Her speech was some of her best work, and she made a powerful case for backing the party's nominee. Those skeptics (myself

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-12289844027935233292008-08-26T09:12:00.000-04:002008-08-26T09:32:29.926-04:00

Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention was about the warm fuzzies. Ted Kennedy made folks feel good just by being there. People who know Barack Obama well, from his wife, to his political mentor, to his sister, to Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. sketched out a portrait of the candidate. That was all well and good. Yet did the Democrats miss an opportunity, on a night that was supposed to be

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-25413683987104163122008-08-25T11:23:00.000-04:002008-08-25T11:40:39.274-04:00

I've always had the yips about flying. For the past couple of days, I stressed coming to Denver for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I told myself the nerves were about wanting to do an excellent job on the radio show. Or maybe leaving my wife and daughter (she's out of town anyway). Nope. It was about getting on a plane. Mind you, I've flown all over the world at one time or another, but

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-35045829170879333402008-08-22T14:00:00.000-04:002008-08-22T14:01:29.737-04:00

Sorry this is so late. Been waiting for you know who to name his you know what. Don't even want to speculate about why it's taking so long. Anyway, I'll be blogging from Denver. Have a great weekend.

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-34171307061293254252008-08-21T07:35:00.000-04:002008-08-21T07:54:24.833-04:00

Stephanie Tubbs Jones wasn't as well known as Isaac Hayes or Bernie Mac. In its own way, that's sad. She was a congresswoman representing a district that includes a big part of Cleveland. She passed away after suffering a brain aneurysm while driving in her district, Ohio's 11th. I'm writing about her because I had the privilege of interviewing her on more than one occasion. She was certainly one

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-75920787461603901272008-08-20T09:33:00.000-04:002008-08-20T09:53:00.469-04:00

As everyone waits for Barack Obama's VP choice (and I just got a hot tip about who it might be), the candidate has begun to address concerns about whether he's become too laid back in the campaign against John McCain. He's dropped a series of hard hitting commercials describing his opponent as out of touch with the day to day struggles of most Americans.What's interesting is, unlike McCain's "

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-76783269829897403942008-08-19T07:36:00.000-04:002008-08-19T07:51:45.014-04:00

We're now told Barack Obama will name his running mate tomorrow. Or is it Thursday? Anyway, it will be this week, won't it? Chances are it will, since next week is the Democratic National Convention. Names that were prominent just a month ago have seemingly faded from contention. Some media are calling it a three horse race, and some say (and hope) Obama's rival for the nomination isn't out of it

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-72227167747229862262008-08-18T09:32:00.000-04:002008-08-18T09:55:34.355-04:00

Barack Obama came off vacation this past weekend. He met with a leading evangelical pastor along with John McCain, then came out swinging against his Republican opponent. This comes as some Democrats in swing states are getting nervous about whether Obama's message resonates with their constituents. In fact, these jitters have been manifesting themselves in questions like "Why isn't he further

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-949106073575994582008-08-15T08:36:00.000-04:002008-08-15T08:53:48.134-04:00

The question has to be asked because taken together, Barack Obama's decision to give both Bill and Hillary Clinton prime speaking roles at the DNC, plus allowing her name to be placed in nomination seems like one massive capitulation. Capitulation, rather than an actual effort at party unity. Unity would mean Hillary would be obligated to call off that small but very vocal group of her supporters

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-85236723069149909212008-08-14T08:28:00.000-04:002008-08-14T08:48:55.916-04:00

The above word, is derived from the Yiddish word khutspe, meaning, nerve, gall, temerity. New Yorkers know its meaning well, and what follows is a quintessential New York story. For those that don't know, land is both money and power in the city. Very, very little of it sits vacant and unspoken for. Well, one New Yorker saw a vacant parcel of land, threw a fence around it, and claimed it as his

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-878219756351079302008-08-13T08:25:00.000-04:002008-08-13T08:43:25.369-04:00

So now we know former Virginia Governor Mark Warner will be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, now less than two weeks away. It's canny political calculation for the campaign of Barack Obama. He wants very badly to win Warner's home state, and recent polling says he can actually do it. Warner, running for the Senate, has proven appeal in areas where Obama is weak. That

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-58390730415373071252008-08-12T09:41:00.000-04:002008-08-12T09:57:52.653-04:00

Back in April, I spent some time in Barbados. When you're out of the country, you get a chance to tap into news broadcasts (as opposed to Internet Websites) that you don't normally hear and see. It was then that I first heard about a looming worldwide shortage of food. I wrote about it on this blog upon my return. Of course, little was said about it at the time, but by mid-May, food prices here

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-13665243438935921412008-08-11T09:31:00.000-04:002008-08-11T10:05:56.639-04:00

It's hard to remember a time when two giants in the fields passed away so close together. Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes were bound together by a film both worked on recently. They also broke the bounds of their respective art forms, and will be missed by lovers of music and comedy everywhere.There were rumors about Bernie Mac going back at least a week. His publicist angrily denied reports of his

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-62045359191092711662008-08-08T07:43:00.000-04:002008-08-08T07:57:10.526-04:00

Ever since Barack Obama decided to run for president, people have been afraid someone would try to assassinate him. In fact, he received Secret Service protection earlier than any presidential candidate in American history. Now a man stands accused of threatening Obama's life, and that of President Bush. If true, it seems he was quite serious.Raymond Hunter Geisel was trying to become a bail

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-71402191405495054342008-08-07T10:20:00.000-04:002008-08-07T10:43:54.905-04:00

Barack Obama's relationship with politicians and activists from the so-called "civil rights generation" will receive a thorough airing in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine. In discussing the question of whether Obama has put too much distance between himself and those who have come before him, a troubling perception came up on my radio show, "Politics Plus".A surprising number of people

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-40668878196620873652008-08-06T10:21:00.000-04:002008-08-06T10:45:28.946-04:00

This time, we're talking about a different set of changes from yesterday. Today, we talk food. A pair of media reports indicates the slowing American economy is having an effect on two areas of culinary endeavor. They would be soul food and fast food. Quiet as it's kept, restaurants in Harlem, once the soul food capital of the universe, are closing down one after the other. They're the victims

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-16272274984584031032008-08-05T07:30:00.000-04:002008-08-05T07:49:09.454-04:00

There are changes going on in the American electorate, and by and large they don't spell good news for the Republican Party. It boils down to this. In several key states this election season, the number of registered Democrats is growing, while the number of registered Republicans is declining. The number of voters registering with no party at all is also growing rapidly.The numbers have

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-15019905408934950382008-08-04T09:51:00.000-04:002008-08-04T10:22:16.825-04:00

As the presidential election cycle winds its way toward the national conventions, it's not just the candidates, or the political parties, that are looking for money. The media too, is looking to cash in on one of the most closely watched presidential races in recent memory. The trouble for traditional media is strikingly similar to the crisis the music business faces. People's consumption habits

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-63835426904508650322008-07-31T08:42:00.000-04:002008-07-31T09:10:08.816-04:00

Jim Dwyer of the New York Times wrote a most interesting piece Wednesday about a phenomenon that seems to be on the rise. He profiled the case of an encounter between a bicyclist and a New York City police officer that is now resonating through the corridors of 1 Police Plaza (headquarters) here. A bit of explanation is in order here.Periodically, an organization called Critical Mass holds a sort

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-33514225259602508292008-07-30T09:24:00.000-04:002008-07-30T09:43:04.564-04:00

Sen. John McCain, as most know, hasn't raised nearly as much money for advertising as his opponent Barack Obama. So what does he do? He creates an ad that's sure to generate plenty of free airings by news outlets hungry for anything during this lull in the election cycle.McCain's new ad attacks Obama for canceling a visit to wounded troops in Germany during his overseas trip. The ad says Obama

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-72179907111465836012008-07-29T07:27:00.000-04:002008-07-29T07:40:34.720-04:00

That bunch of lawbreakers at Alberto Gonzales' Justice Dept. are finally being exposed. An internal report says senior aides to the then Attorney General used politics to guide their hiring decisions for a number of important jobs. The interesting part is they often picked less qualified candidates as long as they were seen as card carrying Republicans.The person at the center of this nonsense,

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-73906423612934769612008-07-28T09:56:00.000-04:002008-07-28T10:12:25.922-04:00

Oh, those polls! Wasn't it just last week that a series of Quinnipiac University polls told us Barack Obama was in trouble in four key states? Hadn't he gone from in front of to behind John McCain in Colorado? Hadn't a big lead in Minnesota virtually evaporated? And now, here comes a new Gallup poll that says something very different.This, I suppose, should come as no surprise. Polls fluctuate

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-14161489287151035742008-07-25T09:49:00.000-04:002008-07-25T10:03:28.190-04:00

The absurdity of the following story leaps off the page. Actor/activist Danny Glover has had it in his mind to make an epic film on the life of Haitian hero Toussaint Louverture for quite some time. It looks like shooting will start early next year. Yet according to Glover, it's been a twisted road to get funding for his flick.In an interview while in Paris, Danny Glover recounts going to

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-76669051716249869452008-07-24T09:04:00.000-04:002008-07-24T09:32:42.037-04:00

When should the mainstream media pick up a tabloid story and run with it? So far, the most recent National Enquirer story on John Edwards isn't making much noise. Remember last year, when the Enquirer alleged Edwards had both a mistress and a love child? Both Edwards and the woman vehemently denied the story. In fact, a married friend of the former senator stepped forward and said the child was

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-53697164425037436652008-07-23T09:06:00.000-04:002008-07-23T09:21:20.269-04:00

Anyone who's ever been to New York City knows the transit system is its soul. Every day, the city's subways and buses move millions, and is in fact the way a majority of people get around. That's why so many people, from elected officials to riders to transit advocates, slam the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's proposal to raise fares next year.Yes, tolls for drivers over bridges and

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-2434922470511106492008-07-22T08:31:00.000-04:002008-07-22T08:46:27.466-04:00

Maybe I'm the only progressive in America who has a problem with the New York Times' rejection of Sen. John McCain's editorial on Iraq. McCain's piece was a direct rebuttal to an essay written by his presumptive opponent, Barack Obama. The Times Op-Ed editor David Shipley opined that McCain's editorial should "mirror" Obama's. Talk about spoon-feeding the right wing media machine an issue!With a

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-61111515936176702402008-07-21T09:52:00.000-04:002008-07-21T10:10:30.736-04:00

Barack Obama is in Iraq today, and he's expected to meet with top US military officials and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Yet already, that meeting has been overshadowed by Maliki's interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel. Published over the weekend, Maliki appeared to endorse Obama's timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from his country. But did he?Not so fast! The Bush

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-46411887198714782782008-07-18T09:23:00.000-04:002008-07-18T09:41:06.855-04:00

As Barack Obama prepares to embark on an ambitious overseas trip, maybe he should have some questions beyond the efficacy of the troop surge in Iraq. Maybe he ought to ask just what's going on with the reported 283 electrical fires due to shoddy work by contractors who are getting paid really good money.The New York Times reports that while the Pentagon has acknowledged that 13 Americans have

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934207186279432169.post-14890277742037764802008-07-17T06:31:00.000-04:002008-07-17T06:48:50.877-04:00

The Rev. Jesse Jackson's use of the "N word" during that off mic conversation the other week shouldn't surprise those who know him. Sad to say, for once, Bill O'Reilly was right. He really did have something else on that tape. Rev. Jackson has apologized, again. No word yet from the Obama camp, which one would guess has other fish to fry.Talk to black folks about Jesse's faux pas, and reactions

Mark Rileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17035342435535460925noreply@blogger.com0