Political Theatre category archive

In the usual bad taste.

It’s a wandering discussion, but listen to Senator McCaskill try to talk sense about health care and politics on Morning Joe.

The one thing that has become clear about Senator Ted Cruz is that he suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder as defined by Chez Pazienza:

Mr. Cruz cannot stand a deficit of attention.

Via Delaware Liberal.

The Tampa Bay Times goes Seussian.

Just read it.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Jim Taylor surveys the evidence and concludes that the two most important factors in successful schools are the affluence of the school district and the skill of the teachers

Nevertheless, as he points out, the current rage is tech, not teach. A nugget:

Yet, the “faith-based” technology approach to public education reform is moving full steam ahead, particularly for disadvantaged students. There is this fantastical notion that giving poor kids iPads just like rich kids will somehow magically transform them into great students. So, while their schools are crumbling around them, they will have shiny new tablets that will reverse years of physical, psychological, cognitive, and economic neglect.

Why the fascination with iJunk? Follow the link for his take on it.

iJunk sales, of course, are part of it. The rest, I think, is magickal thinking augmented by a misdirection play, hope that glitzy iTois will somehow make up for poverty, hunger, underpaid and mistreated teachers, decaying buildings, and anything resembling public accountability for the public good.

. . . also known as World War I, continues to spawm more wars.

Shaun Mullen explores its continuing legacy of bloodshed, augmented by the perfidy of the British in betraying their Arab allies against the Ottoman Empire.

Just read it.

Via Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog.

No billionaire left behind.

Below the fold in case it autoplays.

Read more »

Via BartCop.

A person who stands against the haters.

BRADDOCK, Pa. In this gritty borough near Pittsburgh, Mayor John Fetterman is doing what the Philadelphia and New Hope mayors won’t – officiating at weddings of gay and lesbian couples who got their marriage licenses in Montgomery County.

Last week’s Commonwealth Court ruling ordering the county to stop issuing licenses won’t stop him, either, as long as the couples got their licenses legally.

“If a couple wants to go ahead and do it, I would as well,” Fetterman, 44, said after the ruling Thursday. “If the Health Department wants to send the gay police to come and get me, they’re more than welcome to do that.”

Speaking of the haters, a letter writer to my local rag pretty much summed it up.

Via Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog.

Via Escape from Whitemanistan.

With apologies to Larry, Curly, and Moe.

Via C&L.

Below the fold because it autoplays on some systems.

Read more »

In the usual bad taste.

I don’t know whether today’s announcement is a case of successful Obama brinkmanship or Putin to the rescue or a merely speed bump on the way to raining robotic death from the sky, so I got nothing.

It will be fun to watch the spin cycle.

I can, nevertheless, take delight in its having rendered at least 50% of today’s columns and editorial cartoons irrelevant.

Addendum, Later That Same Day:

Josh Marshall has a pretty good first take.

I remember these days very well.

Some would bring them back.

In fact, some would be quite happy to bring back these days:

Video via Contradict Me.

Do it our way or we won’t play.

The Siskiyou County Board, located in the upper reaches of Northern California, voted to secede from the state by a vote of 4 – 1 due to what they say is a lack of representation at the legislature in Sacramento, a local CBS station reported Wednesday.

Noz keeps his poker face.

Dan K. Thomasson does:

In the illusive perfect world, there would be a law against electing nitwits to public office, especially to the Congress.

Follow the link.