Month: December 2009

Max Blumenthal makes an obvious point:

The abrupt exhaustion of the war on Christmas cannot be explained only by the near flatline of cerebral activity Christian right leaders have displayed this year. The crusade was a boon for right-wing fundraising and ratings throughout the years of George W. Bush, whom the right depended on to advance its social agenda. But now that Barack Obama is in office, the conservative movement no longer needs holiday hobgoblins to energize its forces. It has moved beyond the war on Christmas to an all-out assault on the White House and Democratic-led Congress. Satan’s new address is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

A reader writes:

I have one small quibble with your post (and the LA Times article) about the closing of the last bookstore in Laredo, TX. While the people of Laredo's options for buying books have been seriously diminished with the closing of the B. Dalton it is not really accurate to say that their only choice is to go online.  These days you can find a surprisingly large selection of books (and certainly all bestsellers) at Target, Walmart, and even grocery stores all of which Laredo has in abundance.  Moreover, Laredo has a number of college bookstores where people can buy popular books in addition to books for school.  I understand the symbolic significance of there being no bookstore in a city the size of Laredo (really I do, I work as a manager at a bookstore), but it is a mistake to assume that the people there suddenly have no place to go and purchase books in their town.

A list (pdf).

(Hat tip: Smith)

Max Hastings is on point:

Much of successful political leadership, like all human relations, is about making people feel good. This was an art in which Mr Blair excelled, his path smoothed by a benign economic environment and an unfailing readiness to reject tough choices in domestic policy. 

Mr Cameron will have no hiding place. He must tell the British people that in 2009 their long weekend ended; that if the nation is to regain prosperity in the third decade of this century, during the second it must change its ways and pay awesome bills. On Mr Cameron’s watch, economic bombs will start exploding. To persuade the country that these are not his fault, but the result of past follies and delusions that are no longer affordable, will require the skills not merely of a good politician, but a great one. 

Barack Obama can tell him all about it.

Jeff Weintraub examines the source of the very sensible idea that people should prep end of life decisions in advance: a Republican subsequently browbeaten by the shameless GOP leadership.