The Stonecipher Report

A Sense of Where We Are

How a Picture of a President Looking at a Map of the World Helped Calm Some of My Global Worries a Bit

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Dec. 5, 2009

I have a co-worker named Ian, who isn't quite the political junkie I am, but he makes a point to pay attention to what is going on in the world politically and otherwise. 

As Ian and I served beer and cocktails to everyone around us last night and we watched as they slowly became less and less in touch with reality, we, as usual for a Friday night, discussed the state of the country and the world.  And when it comes down to it, there are a lot of things going on right now that are not only terrifying, but that also have no good solution, just a lot of 'least-bad' options.

So when I came home tonight (actually very early Saturday morning, well east of midnight, for all you normal, nine-to-five people) and happened to accidentally open up my pictures folder, I was comforted to see this:

 

Peace? Well, if Not “Now!,” Then Certainly in the Foreseeable Future – Or Else…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Dec. 3, 2009

I was heading towards downtown Chicago Wednesday evening, around 7 PM, when, in a perfect bit of timing – to observe, yet also not be made late for the appointment I was on my way to – my southbound bus was halted on North Michigan Avenue as the police stopped traffic to allow an anti-war demonstration that had been marching north along the busy shopping "Magnificent Mile" to make a (forced) left turn and head west on Oak Street.

Right in front of my bus they turned, giving me a full, close-up view of this end of the demonstration. "What do we want? Peace!" they chanted. "When do we want it? Now!"

“Red” vs. “Blue” – How Did the US Get to This Point (and Where Do We Go From Here)?

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Nov. 23, 2009

Tyler and I discussed this topic pretty deeply and long on today’s radio show…inspired (at least in part) by the "And, in the News…" e-mail issue I sent out to my subscribers earlier today. (The twice-weekly newsletter is completely FREE…AND your e-mail address is NEVER revealed or used for any other purpose; contact me at m_l_sweeney@hotmail.com to begin receiving these issues – hey, I’m already up to issue #199!)

…So – why is the "Blue" state vs. "Red" state divide so deep (and particularly thorny) in the US right now? And where will all of this schismatic separation likely lead us? I think it’s a very complicated, multiple-variable division…and it looks fairly hard to bind or solve anytime in the near future. After our on-air conversation on this subject today, I realize that Tyler has also thought about this subject…and that he has identified one of the contributing factors I chose as his believed primary cause of this current condition afflicting our country. I strongly hope that he expands upon this and explains his theory of the ever-widening "Blue" / "Red" philosophical gulf in a subsequent post out here – or perhaps even in a reply comment to this piece (which would be posted below)…

Sarah Palin WROTE a Book? We Doubt That She Actually Even READ It…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Nov. 17, 2009

With the Sarah Palin book hitting bookstores today, I thought I’d share my subscription-e-mail column – from the free "And, in the News…" updates I send out twice a week – on the topic from Monday. So, it is included below…and, FYI, another couple of good, appropriate, and variously analytical pieces on the media blur of Miss Wasilla and her pretend-authored book are one by Max Blumenthal on The Nation Magazine’s website and The Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan (the gay neo-con who experienced an Obama awakening – and was quite the Palin critic – in ’08) live-blogging his reactions, rebuttals, and disputing of basic truths during Palin’s appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Some good stuff... 

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And, in the News...#197

November 16, 2009

Political Soap Box: First, "My Pet Goat," Now "Going Rogue" -- Uh, Republicans Don't Seem to Have Much Luck With Books, Do They?

Even though the piece-of-crap, rewriting-history, quickie book Sarah Palin agreed to claim she wrote -- the idiotically-titled "Going Rogue" (I mean, what does she think she is, some sort of freakin' conservative pirate?) -- has not officially hit bookstore shelves yet (it is due out widely [today]), plenty of political insiders have grabbed their early copies of it and are lashing out at its contents AND the alleged author, the former Miss Wasilla and early-quitting previous Governor of the so-so State of Alaska...

IT PASSES!!!

Round 1 Done on US Healthcare Reform as Sweeping Bill Wins in House of Representatives

Tougher Senate Battle Looms Ahead

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Nov. 8, 2009

Yesterday – Saturday – was just such a pluperfectly beautiful day here in the Capital of the Middle of America: High 60s, sunny, calm. It was – somewhat appropriately, as it would turn out – much like that unexpectedly gorgeous and mildly unseasonable November night we enjoyed here a little more than a year ago…very similar to Election Night ’08, when we gloriously gathered in Grant Park to celebrate history together. Eh, who knew that "Indian Summer" could wait around and not bother to show up until AFTER Halloween and Election Day (and knocking on the door of Veteran’s Day)?

I spent my late afternoon enjoying some Starbucks iced coffee (a valuable tip: register a Starbucks card with them online and put some cash or credit on it, and things like soy and syrup upgrades are free – as are as many brewed hot or iced refills you would like in the same lingering café visit…some nice, potential cha-ching! savings there), listening to some music pumping into my head, and lazily – if happily and looking-forward-ly – drafting a short piece for here about the looming-for-a-vote Healthcare Reform bill, which was expected to be decided on in the US House of Representatives within a few days.

Election Day Update – 3 Races to Watch (Plus, Predictions!) (UPDATED 11-04, With Results)

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Nov. 3, 2009

Just a quick (well, kinda quick, anyway – it ended up expanding) piece on this off-off-Election Day, summing up the three most interesting races to watch today…

As Tyler and I covered fairly extensively on the radio show yesterday, it looks like the Republican Bob McDonnell will (fairly easily) win as VA Governor…NJ Governor Jon Corzine – after starting off in a fairly deep, unpopular hole – may well pull off a close comeback win over challenger Chris Christie…and, in the most fascinating, potentially-far-reaching election today – ironically, since it is a "mere" local race – no matter WHO wins in the NY 23rd District special election, it may signal an important victory (with perhaps ongoing national repercussions) for Democrats…A little more on each of these below...

Andy McKenna to Seek to Lose the 2010 IL Governor’s Race…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 28, 2009

Andy McKenna is a loser…

Oh, he may actually end up winning the 2010 Illinois Republican Gubernatorial primary – mostly out of some vague, "Eh?" shadow of name recognition versus such unknown and undistinguished competition as Bill Brady, Dan Proft, and Andy Andrzejezewejrzski (uh…OK, I may have – accidentally – tossed an extra "Z" or "J" or something in his name (or, heck – maybe I even left one out [shrugs]), but, c’mon, nobody but the "Would be lucky to break 15% in the primary!" candidate himself is even likely to notice…). But I can guarantee you this: Short of some kind of bizarre, joint Pat Quinn-Dan Hynes sex / bribery / murder scandal erupting between now and Nov. 2, 2010, McKenna will NOT become the next Governor of "The Land of Lincoln, Butkus, and Obama."

Republicans Embarrass Themselves Over Decrying the Obama Nobel Prize

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 12, 2009

As regular readers may have noted, I usually – at the bottom of my entries – promote my twice-weekly e-mail column, "And, in the News…" Occasionally, I also share an adapted version of the contents of those issues out here. The Monday issues are when I cover politics – via my regular "Political Soap Box" feature (Friday’s issues are usually more pop-culture-, sports-, or random-thoughts-oriented)…and I wanted to share the issue I sent out this morning, covering the confusing, idiotic (if – duh! – completely expected) Republican reaction to President Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Illinois GOP Mess May Lead to (Somewhat of) a Career Resurrection For One of the State's Republican Ryans…

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Oct. 10, 2009

The last name "Ryan" – a classic old Irish surname – has been associated with several Illinois Republican politicians over the past decade or so…mostly, however, to notable political FAILURES. Let’s check the list: First and foremost, there was Governor George Ryan (1999 – 2003), the Kankakee pharmacist who buddied and corrupted his way up through state government (including a notorious stint as Secretary of State, collecting bribes and contributions in trade for favors, licenses, and contracts) before being sent to prison after his mostly unaccomplished (except for his brave stand against unwarranted capital punishment) single term in the Governor’s mansion.

The Sun has Not Yet Risen in Chicago and the Right is Already Talking Trash About President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 9, 2009

Screw the Olympics, how 'bout a Nobel Peace Prize for our president?

Yup, didn't see this one coming, but about an hour ago President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

When the rest of you normal people wake up, you'll see the news, but this is one of the advantages to being a bartender with a crazy schedule.  I'm still awake, and I'm probably one of the few bloggers in America near my computer and TV screen at this hour.  It's about 4:45 AM here in Chicago.

Amazingly, Barack Obama's Wikipedia page has already been updated, despite the fact that this announcement was made just minutes ago.

Not so shocking is the instant criticism from the right.  Joe Scarborough is already yacking about how the Nobel Prize is no longer prestigious, that it is given to people who hate America, that Marisa Tomei did more to win an Academy Award for "My Cousin Vinny" than Barack Obama has done to win the prize, that if anyone should have gotten it, it is Ronald Reagan and that maybe, just maybe, President Obama would be worthy of this not-so-prestigious award in three or four years, but certainly not now.

That's probably an early look at the anti-Obama, anti-Nobel Prize rhetoric that is certain to come from the right.  Any guesses as to which nutty right-winger makes the most insane comment about this?  Click here or check out the right-hand column to vote in our poll.

Well, might as well stay up and watch us bomb the moon at this point.