Lest We Forget: Raygun And Iran

Second Thoughts on October Surprise | Consortiumnews:

New evidence has shaken the confidence of former Rep. Lee Hamilton in his two-decade-old judgment clearing Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign of going behind President Carter’s back to frustrate his efforts to free 52 U.S. hostages in Iran, the so-called October Surprise case, Robert Parry reports...

Oh and let's not forget Tricky Dick: Did Nixon Commit Treason in 1968? What The New LBJ Tapes Reveal.

Xian Tippers Again

Justin Lee: When Christians Are Christianity's Worst Enemy:

...In my book "TORN: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate," I argue that we Christians have often become our own worst enemies. In many communities, our reputation is that of uncompassionate culture warriors, quick to shout about gays or abortion or political candidates, but slow to show grace and mercy in our everyday lives. And these acts of ungrace by Christians have far more power to damage Christianity's reputation and influence than any attack launched at the church from the outside...

Comment Of The Day: Daily Flashback Edition

Brian Williams Tom Foley Obit - Please Stop Hurting History - Esquire
Laurence Glavin · Top Commenter

BTW, today (Wednesday) is the 30th Anniversary of the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing over 240 American military personnel. I don't recall any media obsession over this event or demands for a Congressional investigation (Darrell Issa was nine going on ten). Reagan withdrew any personnel from Lebanon shortly thereafter without being accused of cutting and running. It was a truly different time.

The Daily Flashback: Lunacy Raygun Edition

Ronald Reagan’s shameful legacy: Violence, the homeless, mental illness - Salon.com:

...President Reagan never understood mental illness. Like Richard Nixon, he was a product of the Southern California culture that associated psychiatry with Communism. Two months after taking office, Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, a young man with untreated schizophrenia. Two years later, Reagan called Dr. Roger Peele, then director of St. Elizabeths Hospital, where Hinckley was being treated, and tried to arrange to meet with Hinckley, so that Reagan could forgive him. Peele tactfully told the president that this was not a good idea. Reagan was also exposed to the consequences of untreated mental illness through the two sons of Roy Miller, his personal tax advisor. Both sons developed schizophrenia; one committed suicide in 1981, and the other killed his mother in 1983. Despite such personal exposure, Reagan never exhibited any interest in the need for research or better treatment for serious mental illness...

The Daily Flashback: Contra Edition

McCain: Benghazi Is Just Like Iran-Contra | Crooks and Liars:

...When is Iran-Contra like Benghazi? Never, unless you're John McCain and are relying on the average IQ of the average Fox viewer to connect the non-existent dots into something that neither event is.

Let's see if we can refresh memories just a bit. Iran-Contra would be when Ronald Reagan agreed to sell weapons to the guy holding US diplomats hostage and then tried to cover up the arms sales by funneling the proceeds to the Nicaraguan Sandinistas Contras...

Comment:

Trantorian • an hour ago

Karoli, the funds from the sale of weapons to Iran went to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, not the Sandinista government. 

Also, the Anti communist organization you cite as McCain being a member actually was supporting Salvadoran death squads, as the Sandinistas were in power in Nicaragua in the 80's and did not have death squads.

Americans Are Compassionate

Hullabaloo: "The Dystopian Hellscape Budget isn't popular"

...This result does my heart good to tell you the truth. If you listen to Villagers, the American people are a bunch of selfish pigs who refuse to sacrifice. (These are all millionaire celebrities who won't have to go through other people's garbage to collect cans when their social security fails to buy them enough food to eat, but somehow they feel qualified to scold the rest of us about ourselfishness.) It's very reassuring to hear that most Americans still care about children and the elderly and other vulnerable citizens.
This genuinely surprised me, I must say:

Even conservatives were swayed, shifting a net 13 points toward Obama. 

Ayn Rand hasn't won this thing yet. If someone, anyone, makes the case for decency, compassion, empathy and the common good, apparently there are enough decent people left in this country who are ready and willing to hear it. The question is whether the Democrats are so far gone they've lost the vocabulary to talk about it....

Reagan Likes Taxes

...And Buffett, too.