America is - and essentially always has been - a two-party country. The current Democratic and Republican parties were once a single party, in opposition first to the Federalists, and then to Whigs. As those two parties disappeared into history, the Democratic-Republican party split into the two we have today. Sure there are other parties (sometimes referred to as 3rd parties), but these two have dominated American politics for over 150 years. There are lessons to be learned by those who would like to see a third party rise to prominence, and lessons for the current two parties as well.
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33 comments (Latest Comment: 04/01/2011 20:47:28 by livingonli)

As we bid adieu to particularly nasty month, let us take a moment for a great Woman:

"I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."
Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband, John written March 31,1776
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44 comments (Latest Comment: 03/31/2011 19:23:46 by Scoopster)

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,932nd day in Iraq, and our 3,460th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4441
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4302
Since Handover (6/29/04): 352
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 213
Since Operation New Dawn: 23

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,513
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 868
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's Cost of War passing through:

$ 1, 172, 369, 200, 000 .00
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63 comments (Latest Comment: 03/30/2011 03:22:46 by Raine)

In 1984, I was an excited young man for three reasons. One, I was going to graduate high school. Two, the latest Indiana Jones and Star Trek movies were coming out, and I just knew they were both going to rock. Three, I was turning 18, which meant that I would finally get to vote in a real election.

I had been a little put out by the election and administration of Ronald Reagan, especially since he had defeated my fellow Georgian Jimmy Carter four years earlier. When Walter Mondale became the Democratic Party nominee, I was a little wary. However, I was encouraged when Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. In just a moment, this unassuming former senator and vice president had changed the course of American politics forever.


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6 comments (Latest Comment: 03/28/2011 00:06:29 by TriSec)

With the military action in Libya, and nuclear crisis in Japan, the goings-on here in the U.S. seem to be slipping by under the radar. In particular, those international news stories are giving cover to the Republicans' actions. Let's take a closer look...
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56 comments (Latest Comment: 03/25/2011 19:41:34 by Raine)