Much has been written over the years about the Kennedy family and leadership. But the focus has tended to be on JFK and RFK, rather than their younger brother. So in the wake of Senator Edward Kennedy’s death, let us revisit this. I have never been so naïve as to set out what I believe to be the inalienable, definitive characteristics of effective leadership: because I do not believe that is possible. But I do know, however, that leadership is — in part – about vision and that it is — in part – about single-mindedness.

(Originally posted on TakePart .) The cover of Rolling Stone No. 1085 (Aug. 20, 2009) depicts a somber looking President Barack Obama, his face the center of the presidential seal that reads “Will he take bold action or compromise too easily?” The cover image, created by artist Shepard Fairey, was a departure from Fairey’s previous work featuring Obama; his ubiquitous Hope graphic became one of the most well-known yet unofficial images of the historic 2008 campaign.

By Byard Duncan, AlterNet. Posted September 12, 2009.The debates over health care reform and the war in Afghanistan are dogged by the same questions: What is the cost to us? How have our priorities changed? That President Barack Obama’s most important domestic policy speech of 2009 coincides almost exactly with the eighth anniversary of 9/11 should not be ignored.

Kevin Drum’s confused by this bizarre Nancy Pelosi sign at the Tea Party: I’m more interested in the Benjamin Franklin quote. Probably the weirdest thing about the Glenn Beck / Tea Party nexus to me is that it tends to rely so heavily on libertarian rhetoric and fear of incipient authoritarianism. These kind of sentiments would be a lot easier to take seriously if not for the fact that we didn’t see these people marching out in the streets when George W.

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Many in the Right have taken note of Barack Hussein Obama’s repeated shafts at Rightist commentators who’ve accurately characterized his attempt to nationalize American medical care. We’re “liars,” “fabricators,” and “divisive voices.” We’re adamantly opposed to “reform.” We must have evil motives, for why else would anyone stand athwart something so compassionate as health insurance for all? Though he seldom mentions them by name, it could not be clearer that Obama’s two principal nemeses are Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Heath Palin.

Oh, yes. Global Warming is a real problem.This year, throughout the Midwest and North East, more than 300 records, in the month of August alone, were set for the lowest temperatures ever since 1895 (Click to See Full Story from USA Today: “U.S. wraps up record summer lows”). Overall, it was the 34th coolest Summer on record for the entire United States.For the last decade, temperatures have been falling in direct contradiction to the “hockey stick” rise in temperatures that had been predicted

According to Glenn Beck, today’s Pennsylvania Avenue rally of right-wing fringe birthers, deathers, tenthers and outright secessionists numbered 60,000. I think the protesters have an interesting problem– they don’t want to admit they’re all frustrated Bushbots, mad as hell that we have a mixed-race Democratic President. They have to come up with something else to put on a sign, whether it makes sense or not.

05:16 Why have I signed up to Aka-Aki again? # 05:35 @ lemondenews pas d’autre chose a dire que cette pub pour ce logiciel supposement magnifique? Meme refrein depuis 3 jours, ca soule # 05:46 TheEconomist analyzes France’s pending #CarbonTax ow.ly/p33w (1:45) -… ff.im/-7YUn5 # 06:39 just because I hate throwing away I’m eating leftovers from yesterday lunches prepared for the week ahead.

“Con men understand that their job is not to use facts to convince skeptics but to use words to help the gullible to believe what they want to believe. No message has been more welcomed by the gullible, in countries around the world, than the promise of something for nothing. That is the core of [...]