Did you watch the President's speech on Monday night? Reviews are mixed, naturally, depending on the agenda of the reviewer. Here's a quick sampling before moving beyond the pundits to talk about Senator Franken's pragmatic action.From the other end of the spectrum:@thenation
The Nation
Obama tries, without success, to explain an undeclared war. By John Nichols. http://bit.ly/fxeZq0
Even people who felt Gadhafi was presiding over a beastly, cruel, and violent repression of Libyan citizens are rightly concerned about the cost, particularly given how the two major U.S. military operations in the last decade added to the deficit. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) is set to introduce a bill to assure that military operations, such as the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, don’t get a free pass to float a check - that military spending@NewsHour
NewsHour
Pres. Obama accomplished three main goals to three distinct audiences at his speech on #Libya http://ow.ly/4oHYO
won't add to our national debt.Senator Franken has expressed concerns about the potential cost of military operations in Libya, saying, "You know, so far the administration said we can pay for it in the regular military budget but at a certain point, that may not be the case." Franken continues to be a forceful presence in the Senate, focusing on productive work rather than simply posturing for the press.
The debate will continue about what we should have done about the slaughter of civilians, and what the role of the U.S. government and diplomacy should be outside our borders. With so much of our budget already dedicated to the military I'm glad somebody has the courage to face reality and confront the hard choices we face instead of passing the cost-burden along. Thank you, Senator Franken.
Thomas Hayes is a New Media Advisor, Political Consultant, Journalist, Entrepreneur, and former Congressional Campaign Manager; he believes in "follow the money" when following politics, and continues his 12-step recovery from the years spent as a Programmer/Database Administrator by carrying his camera nearly everywhere and writing on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
I'm not going to pretend expertise on Hollywood, because the one film course I took in college was a practical lesson in the dangers of sitting in a dark room shortly after eating dinner. The Taming of the Shrew and Singing in the Rain were great movies, for example, but expecting a college student to stay awake with a full stomach was, I'd say, a tactical blunder on the part of my otherwise talented professor.
Parts of the plume of radioactive ash may hit parts of the U.S. west coast very soon, and naturally enough concern and interest are running high. O'Reilly, who is not averse to taking provocative stands for the sake of exploring an issue himself, was earnest in trying to get her to back off, making references to sunbathing, and yet Ms. Coulter remained firm and basically said "it's the media's fault" (evidently she's not part of the media despite how she earns her living) for not covering the positive health benefits of radiation.
On St. Patrick's Day it's tempting to lecture about stereotypes, discrimination, and the scorn that greeted Irish immigrants to North America, including how the Ku Klux Klan, in particular, reacted with violent prejudice, since there are now more people of Irish ancestry living in the U.S.A. than on the Emerald Isle. But the legend of driving the snakes from Ireland is a metaphor for conquering our fears.
It isn't about green beer and shots of Jameson's; the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day is about embracing those we meet - finding and recognizing our similarities instead of dwelling upon the differences.
he had no idea his descendants would be able to watch events unfolding some day in places as exotic and "remote" as Cairo, Haiti, Japan, or even New Orleans or Madison as though we were all right there let alone use cell phones to text financial support. But he'd have loved the idea of helping those in need, of standing with workers fighting for their rights, and walking like an Egyptian.
Because culturally the Irish are inclined to see us all as one family. Irish-Americans are glad to see the wearing of the Green, today, even among those who can't spell Leprechaun and never eat potatoes. We're clear on why some Scots and Brits select other colors, and that's just fine, too - we'll still be toasting and singing and embracing all who can, even for one day, see a bit of something different as part of themselves, and a bit of themselves in the goodwill of Irish blessings and humor.
the stew with potatoes to serve another new member of the family. Guinness optional.
In 1910, at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day to press for their demands. The idea was approved unanimously by the 100 women from 17 countries in attendance; 
The data on how much is spent on teacher's pay isn't hard to find, but the truth may bother WI's Governor in his bid to blame unions and collective bargaining for his budget priorities:
Statistical Information Center - School Staff and Salary Data
Wisconsin Power Play
Parsons
Mello
