tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87238792024-03-13T19:00:20.246-04:00Bull MooseThe Bull Moose advocates a progressive poltics of national greatness that promotes a strong national defense, economic fainess, political reform and national service.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163693034550747812006-11-17T08:27:00.000-05:002006-11-17T08:34:51.886-05:00Hibernating MooseFor now, the Moose bids adieu to his Mooseketeers.It's been a good run. The Moose has tremendously enjoyed musing, observing and holding forth on the issues of the day. But, for the time being, this cervine creature will not be seen in cyberspace.The great and grand political development of the past year has been the triumph of Independent - Democrat Senator Joe Lieberman. Joe has bravely revivedBull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161198275089377612006-11-16T08:18:00.000-05:002006-11-16T09:16:18.280-05:00Limits of RealismThe Moose argues that progressives shouldn't redeploy away from their principles.The Iraq war is leading some progressives into a full embrace of neo-realism. These liberals shun interventionist internationalism for the type of pragmatic realism that was the hallmark of Brent Scowcroft and Jim Baker. In fact, these two Republican figures are rapidly becoming national security role models in Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163334317901575382006-11-15T08:10:00.000-05:002006-11-15T08:35:28.380-05:00Crisis of ConfidenceThe Moose comments on the torment of the right.Back in the early sixties, Barry Goldwater wrote the right wing manifesto, "Conscience of a Conservative." Today, it would likely be titled, "The Crisis of Confidence of a Conservative."For the past forty years, conservatism was in the ascendancy. Just a couple of years ago, it had a certain self-confident swagger. Hubris was its only threat. In 2000Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163511579174110272006-11-14T08:23:00.000-05:002006-11-14T10:02:49.833-05:00Won't Get Fooled AgainThe Moose wonders what the incoming Speaker was thinking when she decided to meddle in the Majority Leader's race.If there was one unmistakable message that the voters were sending last week is that they are sick and tired of the old Washington politics of pork, perks and corruption. That is why it is so perplexing that Congresswoman Pelosi chose as her first major public action to lend her Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163417879793110572006-11-13T08:24:00.000-05:002006-11-13T08:30:47.773-05:00Hoyer for Leader*The Moose endorses Steny.The Moose has long admired Steny Hoyer. He represents the Truman/JFK/Scoop tradition in the party of a strong national defense and progressive social policy. He is an effective spokesman for the vital center that his party is attempting to seize.Steny Hoyer should become the donkey's House Majority Leader. He is being challenged by John Murtha who has become the darling Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163159265465448002006-11-10T06:45:00.000-05:002006-11-10T07:09:46.506-05:00Semper FiThe Moose wishes the Marine Corps a happy birthday - created November 10, 1775"From the halls of Montezuma To the shores of Tripoli' , We fight our countrys battles In the air', on land, and sea. First to fight for right and freedom , And to keep our honor clean, We are proud to claim the title Of United States Marines" America is indebted to you for your service to our nation.Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1163022939760395672006-11-09T20:25:00.000-05:002006-11-11T10:11:19.993-05:00Ascendant CenterThe Moose celebrates the rise of the middle.Across the board, the election has been correctly interpreted as the revenge of the center. The immoderate moderates smote the elephants because they have displayed incompetent incompetence and acted as dividers and not uniters. After the red-state blue-state divide, this year the voters were in a furious state.Both parties are on probation with the Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162955057204023382006-11-08T08:38:00.000-05:002006-11-08T09:47:44.253-05:00KOSenfreude*The Moose gloats and kvells.There is great joy in Mooseland. The nutroots have struck out. Joe Lieberman has prevailed. The vital center is victorious!Read and weep, dear nutroots,"Throughout his career, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman has proudly proclaimed himself an "independent-minded Democrat." But in the closing days of this campaign, Mr. Lieberman added a superlative, promising to be a "very Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162668366403101482006-11-07T08:38:00.000-05:002006-11-07T08:46:38.276-05:00Veterans DayThe Moose thanks those brave Americans who made this day possible.Although Veterans Day is a few days away, we should today express our appreciation and gratitude to the veterans and currently serving members of the armed services who have defended and continue to preserve our freedom. They put their lives on the line so that we can stand in line to choose our leaders.Much has been made of the Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162567852890326052006-11-06T08:18:00.000-05:002006-11-06T08:35:18.026-05:00Throw the SpinnersThe Moose counsels the elephant and donkey not to deceive themselves.Even before election day, the Republican spin-machine has been launched. "This was just a normal six year itch election", they say. "In 1986, even the Reagan-led GOP lost the Senate", they suggest. And so on and so on.That is all true and beside the point. These Republicans resemble Linda Blair's 360 degree head spin in the Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1160493683910040802006-11-03T08:13:00.000-05:002006-11-03T08:34:18.020-05:00The Scoop ImperativeThe Moose examines the politics of national security.The 2006 election will largely be about the incompetence of the Bushies. As Dukakis might say, it's about incompetence not ideology.The problem with the Bushies is that they are giving hawkishness a bad name. The failure to implement a successful post-war strategy and provide sufficient troop levels have had disastrous consequences. And while Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162431372813204772006-11-02T08:16:00.000-05:002006-11-02T08:29:28.193-05:00Kerryed AwayThe Moose cautions the elephant not to deceive himself.The Kerry distraction will not greatly influence this election. Of course, it has consumed the political class over the past forty-eight hours. And Senator Kerry proved once again why he will not become President of the United States. (Maybe, he can go visit with his buddy Negative Ned in Greenwich - they deserve each other and can Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162393030800085862006-11-01T09:45:00.000-05:002006-11-01T09:57:10.836-05:00The People's HeroThe Moose is amused by the people's hero.The New York Times has a must-read profile of the tribune of the populist left. As a service to the nutroots, the Moose offers a couple of choice excerpts,"Mr. Lamont often mentions his use of an environmentally correct vehicle, a Ford hybrid, on the campaign trail, but Mr. Lamont and his wife also own a Lexus convertible, a Mercedes, a Volvo, a Jaguar Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162390801008612612006-11-01T09:15:00.000-05:002006-11-01T09:20:01.043-05:00What's the Matter With Kansas?The Moose opines that the following is all you need to know about the state of this election.Today's Washington Post,"The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan handicapper of races, added the races of several Republicans to its chart of highly competitive contests, including the one for Rep. Jim Ryun's Kansas seat, for which Democrats started running ads over the weekend."Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162235341721031952006-11-01T08:08:00.000-05:002006-11-01T08:25:37.900-05:00Tale of Two CitiesDickensian Moose suggests that this is not the best of times for the GOP, but rather the worst of times.Election night will not be a happy time for the elephant for one central reason - incompetence. The GOP has to be the first political party that has both "lost" a city and is losing a war.This election is fundamentally about the Republican incompetence in the aftermath both of the hurricane in Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162304497406083012006-10-31T08:51:00.000-05:002006-10-31T09:27:58.533-05:00Independent ImpulseThe Moose is feeling independent.Yesterday, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg campaigned for Joe in Connecticut. Mayor Mike represents the political future. He is a pragmatic, trans-partisan problem solver. He has demonstrated that he can bring Democrats and Republicans together to effectively govern.What angers the nutroots and the like is that Joe puts country before party. But, that is Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162293907240792302006-10-31T08:10:00.000-05:002006-10-31T08:18:37.913-05:00Laboratories of DemocracyThe Moose notes perhaps the most promising development for the donkey.While most of the attention on this election has been centered on Congress, the most significant races are in the states. Governors and state legislatures will shape the political map for many years to come. That is where congressional seats are drawn. And more importantly, it is in the states where innovative policy reforms Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162207112769136542006-10-30T08:26:00.000-05:002006-10-30T08:28:58.746-05:00Center SurgeThe Moose luxuriates in the ascendancy of the center.Election day could be a very, very important milestone for the insurgent middle of the American body politic. That is because it is very likely that a whole new group of Blue Dogs and New Dems will be coming to Congress.Today's New York Times,"In their push to win back control of the House, Democrats have turned to conservative and moderate Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1162132192560247982006-10-30T08:19:00.000-05:002006-10-31T12:09:19.263-05:00Smear BrigadeThe Moose wonders whether there is a special unit in the GOP to smear Vietnam Veterans.The Moose still has his antlers in a lather over the Allen's campaign's exploitation of Jim Webb's novels about his experience in defending our country in Southeast Asia. A GOP pattern of behavior has developed over the past few years - smear the heroism of Vietnam veterans.Jim Webb eloquently wrote about the Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161945598794576552006-10-27T08:25:00.000-04:002006-10-27T10:03:22.823-04:00Patriotic LicenseThe Moose offers his two cents on the latest Allen-Webb controversy.This is truly the silly season in American politics. Wake the Moose when it is over.The latest brouhaha centers over some lurid passages in novels that Jim Webb penned a while back. While the Moose has some differences over Webb's policy views, he has long been a fan of Webb's writings. He writes as a Marine who was there. His Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161903394856318052006-10-27T08:19:00.000-04:002006-10-27T08:28:11.183-04:00Stickin'The Moose salutes the donkeys who have stood with Joe.It is rare in politics when leaders dare to defy the partisan pressure to toe the party line. A case in point is the Connecticut Senate race. Joe Lieberman has clearly indicated that he will stick with the Democratic caucus when he returns to Washington.Yet, either out of fear of the activists and nutroots or out of desire to pander to this Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161858928351695142006-10-26T08:16:00.000-04:002006-10-26T09:12:43.616-04:00WorriesThe Moose maintains that a Democratic Congress may be the least of the President's worries.The Republicans are desperately attempting to hold onto power. The latest evidence of the GOP panic is the despicable ad that the RNC financed against Harold Ford in Tennessee. Yesterday, the President rushed to give a press conference to attempt to buck up the dispirited grass roots.But, what the White Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161734772286912132006-10-25T09:30:00.000-04:002006-10-25T11:09:00.220-04:00Ned's History LessonThe Moose avers that Ned needs a history lesson.It is sad to view the spectacle of a candidate embarrassing himself and wasting a portion of his fortune. But, that is exactly what is happening to the darling of the nutroots, Negative Ned Lamont.Ned's latest ploy is to liken Joe to Nixon. What's next? Ned declares that Joe is really the reincarnation of Joe McCarthy? Oh, silly Moose - it is LamontBull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161708282357210152006-10-25T08:26:00.000-04:002006-10-25T08:29:53.110-04:00Center InsurgencyThe Moose celebrates the emergence of the middle.The political story of the week is that independent voters are heavily swinging to the Democrats this year. This shift could very well result in a Democratic wave that could propel the donkey to control both the Senate and the House.We may very well be witnessing the collapse of the Rovian base model. Republicans are now suffering from base Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723879.post-1161637138106571042006-10-24T08:03:00.000-04:002006-10-24T08:11:26.560-04:00Obama's PromiseThe Moose ponders the Obama boomlet.The Moose has been impressed with Senator Obama. He appears to have an impulse to transcend the polarized partisan divide and seek a new politics of national unity. He projects a Reagan-Clinton-like optimism that is a welcome contrast to the donkey's gloom and doom caucus. And his lack of Washington experience may actually be an asset to an electorate that is Bull Moosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06198931475590155864noreply@blogger.com