Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer

McCain a Faux Maverick : Stealing a Texas Tradition

The Maverick political family — Maury Maverick, Sr. is sworn in by his father as San Antonio mayor, as Maverick, Jr. looks on. John McCain has appropriated a cherished name from Texas progressive politics. A scoundrel like McCain calling himself … Continue reading

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Tim Wise : Palin, Obama and the Reality of White Privilege

White privilege: Levi Johnston , Bristol Palin’s boyfriend — who calls himself a ‘fuckin’ redneck — is considered an ‘all-American’ boy.This is Your Nation on White PrivilegeBy Tim Wise / September 13, 2008 For those who still can’t grasp the … Continue reading

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Jim Hightower : Sarah Palin’s Faux Populism

Talking populist? Here’s the real thing: Progressive labor leader and community organizer Mother Jones.‘Living in a small town and being able to field dress a moose does not make Palin a populist, no matter how much pundits want to pretend … Continue reading

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Gerry Storm on Obama and McCain’s Sun Signs; Alaskan Rednecks; and the Finer Points of Slaughtering a Moose

Getting your moose cooked in Alaska…‘It is hard to maintain a red neck in Alaskasince there is no sun in winter’ By Gerry Storm / The Rag Blog / September 12, 2008 Obama is a Leo, thus during the time … Continue reading

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Towers of Light : 9/11 / 2008

Photos by Jenny Ross / Fourthway Photography / The Rag Blog. Since the first anniversary of 9/11, the “towers of light” have marked the occasion, beaming skyward from the actual footprints where the World Trade towers stood. Almost unheralded among … Continue reading

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BushCo and Sarah Palin : Polar Bears, Schmolar Bears….

‘The Bush Administration had not wanted to designate the polar bear as threatened in the first place; now Palin’s lawsuit provided cover to backtrack on the decision’By Mark Hertsgaard / September 10, 2008 It wasn’t much noticed at the time, … Continue reading

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Arianna Huffington on Obama : Time For Some Righteous Rage

Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ : Righteous rage.‘It’s time for Obama to unleash his inner Atticus’By Arianna Huffington / September 10, 2008 Back in February 2007, I wrote about the role casting would play in … Continue reading

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Wal-Mart and the Loss of U.S. Jobs

‘Report shows Wal-Mart has played a major role in creating a record trade deficit with China’By S.M. Willhelm / The Rag Blog / September 11, 2008 Wal-Mart claims it creates jobs across America, but a new report shows a much … Continue reading

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Attention Sarah Palin!

Thanks to Nick Hopkins / The Rag Blog

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9/11 : The Politics of Fear, Religious Fanaticism and Checks & Balances

‘They’ve attacked us! Turn on your TV!!’By Thomas Cleaver / The Rag Blog / September 11, 2008 I remember seven years ago today like it was yesterday: the phone call at 0545 pulling me from sleep to hear a friend … Continue reading

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ECONOMY : Size Matters When You’re Bailing Out!

1943 photo of Merchant Marines bailing out of a lifeboat.What good is money if you can’t spend it on stuff like oil, right?By Roger Baker / The Rag Blog / September 10, 2008 Since Lehman Brothers investment bank (the type … Continue reading

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Honoring the Dead : ‘Eyes Wide Open’

Photo of Eyes Wide Open on the Mall in Washington DC by AFSC.Boots on the ground in Austin this weekendBy Susan Van Haitsma / The Rag Blog / September 10, 2008 In February 2005, the display of combat boots and … Continue reading

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