The Hollywood Liberal

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals bring Cardinology to the masses
Ryan Adams has always been one of those artists that you either loved or you hated. When you loved him you hoped he would get more focused so you could love him more. When you hated him you hoped he would become more focused so you could love him. With the release of Cardinology with […]

Quote of the Day
“The truth is… we will be fine on most major issues. We will almost always have some moderate Republican support.”

— Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), quoted by the Washington Post, on Senate Democrats currently lacking the 60 seats needed to prevent a filibuster.

Let’s Hope India Doesn’t React Like We Did to 9/11
The choices India makes now about the threat of terrorism will help determine what kind of superpower it will be.

Where the Bush-Cheney Power Grab Went Wrong
This will be my final post in this discussion, so let me once again offer my thanks to the participants, and to everyone who posted comments. One of my big complaints about the bulk of the columns and articles…

Confessore in the Times … Four Spitzer administration officials violated the state’s ethics law when they used the State Police last summer to gather travel documents they hoped would tarnish Joseph L. Bruno, then the State Senate majority leader, according…

Leahy: ?Torture will be a major issue?; ?All that?s going to be reviewed.?
During a press conference today, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, echoed President-elect Obama’s vow to end torture and pledged to continue investigating the Bush administration’s torture policies. “All that is going to be reviewed,” he said: Q: Do you think Congress should continue to seek a final reckoning of what happened […]

During a press conference today, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, echoed President-elect Obama’s vow to end torture and pledged to continue investigating the Bush administration’s torture policies. “All that is going to be reviewed,” he said:

Q: Do you think Congress should continue to seek a final reckoning of what happened behind the White House orchestration of the firings of the U.S. attorneys and also the adoption of the policies of torture?

LEAHY: Personally I would like to know exactly what happened because — more of a past is prologue kind of thing. I would like to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Torture is going to be a major issue. Torture is going to be a major issue. … And so all that’s going to be reviewed.

Watch it:

Leahy — who praised Obama’s pick of Eric Holder to lead the Justice Department — condemned Bush’s torture policies for their affect on worldwide opinion of the United States: “I can’t tell you how much we have hurt our image abroad.” He added, “But we were better than that. And this has hurt our image.”

Palin Campaigns for Sen. Chambliss in Georgia Runoff Election
DULUTH, Ga., Dec. 1 — Declaring “I’ll tell ya, I’ve had Georgia on my mind,” former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin implored Georgia conservatives on Monday to vote for Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Tuesday’s runoff election.

Can Anyone Bring America Together in an Era of Division?
President-elect Barack Obama says he wants to bring America together. While that rallying cry sounds good to many people, it would require a Herculean task that may well be impossible. We are currently in a media environment dominated by loud, often-nasty ideologues who care more about belittling and demonizing the opposition than promoting ideas and civility. While some of our politicians and political leaders certainly deserve blame for contributing to the animosity, the problem goes beyond them and to the larger culture.

First Things First, Mr. President
WASHINGTON — As he assembles his economic team, Barack Obama faces a central strategic decision that only he can make. Starting with his “economic stimulus” plan, will he focus mainly on reviving the economy and relieving the financial crisis? Or will he use the economic crisis as a vehicle to advance a more ambitious social and economic agenda? The two approaches are at odds. The first aims at building political consensus and economic confidence; the second would intensify political conflict and economic uncertainty. The decision ought to be easy. Every new president is assaulted by his own supporters, who want him to put their particular agendas atop his “to do” list. That’s already happening, as Obama allies clamor for speedy action to provide universal health insurance, combat global warming and support trade unions. But Obama — and the nation — would be better served if he concentrated for his first year on stabilizing the economy while patiently laying the groundwork for more far-reaching proposals.