By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Jun 15, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET Here’s some literal recovery. New York magazine goes inside the operating room for eight life-changing surgeries. Warning: these photographs are stunning, but they’re not for the squeamish. [NY Magazine]
89-year-old evangelist and rapture predictor Harold Camping is recovering after a stroke. He couldn’t have predicted that one (Time Magazine’s words, not mine). [Time]
After too many snafus to count, the infamous “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” musical is off the stage. Bono and the Edge attempt to explain what they were thinking when they brought Spider-Man to Broadway. [NY Times]
Hoping for a commencement speech that will remind you the recession is almost over and there’s more opportunities out there than ever? If Conan O’Brien is your commencement speaker, think again. [The Atlantic]
Need a laugh? Pep up your day with the latest viral video, the Heavy Metal Rooster. [YouTube]
By Grant Smith, RP Staff, on Wed Jun 15, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET We live in a world gone mad on stimulus. From “five hour energy drinks” to natural male enhance, from bodily augmentation to three dimensional television, there is little left in our daily lives that is not, well, “stimulated.”
Jimmy Johnson: Pro-stimulus
It should come as no surprise, then, that once the economy hit the fan, Bush and Obama would both choose Keynesian “stimulus” over that vanilla-plain Hayekian approach. We could have it no other way. If any people on Earth could be said to burn the candle at both ends and still curse the darkness, it is us. Wait out the business cycle? Forget about it!! We want action! When do we want it?? Now!!!
Whether or not you agree with the Tea Party, one thing is certain: when socialism comes/came to America, it will be so much more interesting than those European fuddy-duddies could ever imagine. After all, we could have it no other way.
Read the rest of…
The Politics of Stimulus: Our Lives in a World Gone Mad
By Jeff Smith, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 2:15 PM ET  North Carolina isn’t a must-win for Obama; it was icing on the cake last time. But I do think he’ll win there. Like Colorado but unlike Ohio, North Carolina is a swing state that is moving steadily in Democrats’ direction because of long-term demographic trends, primarily the continued influx of tech workers and other highly educated voters into the Research Triangle.
The state’s growth is centered in the progressive middle third of the state, as opposed to the more conservative East and the Appalachian West, a region where Obama has struggled to connect.
The resilience of Obama’s numbers in North Carolina — contrasted with his relative weakness in some Rust Belt swing states — suggests that he will win there. But it’s a stretch to call it a must-win state, as there are many ways to get to 270 without it. Remember, Clinton got 379 Electoral College votes in ’96 and never even made an effort in North Carolina. Few states go from uncompetitive to must-win status for a party in the span of four elections.
Cross-posted from Politico’s “Arena”
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
I see a lot of movies. More than almost anyone else I know. This is probably because I am broke and out of work and $4.25 for a ticket to a movie is the cheapest entertainment around. Whatever the case may be, I have seen a lot of the films out right now, and if you can’t decide whether or not to catch a movie this week, let these short reviews help you decide.
Super 8 – This film, written and directed by Lost‘s JJ Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, is a mix between ET, The Goonies, and Cloverfield, with a healthy dash of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The resulting film is astounding. The mixture really works–it is a terrifying horror film at parts, and an endearing coming of age film in other parts. The child actors really shine–their friendships are very believable and the relationship between them and their parents seem real–to the point where I can remember having conversations with my parents which exactly mimic those in the film. This film is incredibly approachable–whether you are on a date, or looking to take your grandparents to see a movie, you won’t go wrong with this choice. A quick caveat: several of my female friends who are very into film had strange reservations about this film–so, if you are a girl, think twice.
X-Men: First Class – I tried really hard NOT to like this film. After being a little underwhelmed by Thor earlier this summer, I thought that comic book films were wearing too thin on me. However, I couldn’t help but like this film. Michael Fassbender does absolutely fantastic in this film–to the point where you root for Magneto by the end of the film. James McAvoy turns in a good performance also, and Kevin Bacon plays a fantastic 1960s villain. Though the film gets a little crowded with the supporting mutants, I felt connected enough to all the characters to enjoy the film. This film is a prequel, and I believe prequels ought to have a sense or foreboding which eventually results in the problem encountered in the original film. This movie does a good job with that–the tension between Fassbender and McAvoy is done very well.
The Hangover Part II – As you have probably heard by now, this film is exactly like the first one, but in Thailand. Though the scale was much bigger, and the setting was different, this film didn’t work for me because it attempts to rehash literally every plot point from the first film, down to extremely minute details. I laughed in parts–but not a lot. The characters worn extremely thin in this too–I don’t understand how Bradley Cooper became a leading man–his career must be charmed or something. I don’t really find Zack Galifianakis funny, and the Paul Giamatti cameo really fell flat in my opinion. If you are in the mood for a comedy, go see Bridesmaids instead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Every once in a while there is a character that an actor or writers love, which causes that character to live longer than he should (for instance, Rocky Balboa). Jack Sparrow has become the newest iteration of this phenomenon. I knew this going into this film, and you ought to as well. If you go to see this film, don’t expect anything incredible. Buy some popcorn and a soda, kick back, and let it wash over you. There is absolutely nothing in this film that is any different than the first three Pirates films, but I still managed not to hate it. You don’t like Jack Sparrow nearly as much as Johnny Depp does, but if you are anything like me, you like him alright–probably even enough to go see Pirates 5.
Bridesmaids – I laughed more in this film than I have in any other film this year. I have been a huge Kristen Wiig fan for a very long time, but I was worried that her “I’m CRAZY!” schtick wouldn’t translate well to film. But in this film, she didn’t rely on her character at all–and she was still hilarious and awesome. This film was produced by Judd Apatow (Superbad, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up) and folks were worried that making his brand of film about women wouldn’t work–but it really did. I am not a woman, and therefore cannot really comment about what female friendships are like–but this seemed real. All the performances were top notch, but the show stealer for me was Melissa McCarthy (The Gilmore Girls). She was absolutely hilarious in every scene which she was in. Finally, I think a lot of female comedies seem to be afraid to portray their characters as attractive (for instance, Tina Fey always talks about how she is fat in 30 Rock, which doesn’t make sense to me). This film doesn’t do that–Kristen Wiig is hooking up with Jon Hamm in the first scene, which I think is a very refreshing take on how casual relationships work in the real world (ie, not ugly old men and bombshell blond ladies).
Thor – I had very high expectations of this film. Kenneth Branaugh is one of my favorite people in film–I watched his Hamlet when I was a kid and went through a weird Shakespeare phase. Unfortunately, this film failed to meet my expectations. The performances were great–Chris Hemsworth plays a fantastic Thor, Kat Dennings is great, Natalie Portman does a fine job, and Idris Elba was epic (in the few scenes where he appears)–but the story falls a little flat. The story is okay, but it seems a little condensed and a little crowded. Things kept happening, and I never really got a chance to connect with many of the characters in the way in which I wanted them too. However, the films visuals are stunning. Asgard looks great–and I really like how it emphasizes the technological aspects of the mythology over the magical. In reality, this film suffered in my eyes because I expected it to be too good. If you don’t make the same mistake, you will be fine.
Like I said, I watch too many movies. I hope this helps you pick something out for this weekend.
I do a film podcast/radio show, which you can listen to here. We are fun, and the show is entertaining. I promise!
By Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET  I’ve been mulling over a column by David Brooks on “The Politics of Solipsism” for the past couple of weeks. What he wrote is nervy to say the least. He argues that America has lost the republican virtues on which it was founded, namely, the curbing of self-centeredness in the interest of the public good. I too am a fan of Cicero, but Brooks fails in one of the primary republican virtues by not forthrightly acknowledging that Republicans, the adherents of Ayn Rand, are the ones who have most blatantly deserted these same virtues. Self interest has center stage on their platform.
Brooks praises Truman and Eisenhower, but he fails to mention that it was President Kennedy who repeatedly challenged Americans and asked them to sacrifice. He urged us to go to the moon because it was tough, not because it was easy. And when my father, Robert Kennedy, was running for president and medical students asked him who would pay for more health care for the poor, he quickly answered, “You will.”
 Contrary to the Republican philosophy, summed up by Ronald Reagan, that government is the problem, John and Robert Kennedy considered politics an honorable profession and affirmed that government was the place where we “make our most solemn common decisions.”
Both my uncle and my father knew that America is at its best when its citizens are willing to give up something for others. That was the spirit in which they committed themselves to public service. Ultimately they both gave their lives in the service of their country.
Like my father and my uncle, I believe that serving the public good is the essential republican virtue. In fact I led the effort to make Maryland the first and still only state in the country where community service is a condition of high school graduation. I did this because I believe that virtue comes from habits developed, not sermons given. Aristotle said, “we become house builders by building houses, we become harp players by playing the harp, we grow to be just by doing just actions.”
Republican governors are making their mark attacking public servants. They’re laying off citizens who exemplify republican virtues like teaching in inner city schools, fighting drug cartels, and rushing into burning buildings. Why? So that those who make outrageous salaries can pay lower taxes.
Brooks says that Republicans want growth, but I see no evidence that they want growth for anyone but the most well off. Where is the commitment to education, to infrastructure, to science?
 Rep. Paul Ryan Brooks commends Paul Ryan for sending the message that “politics can no longer be about satisfying voters’ immediate needs.” And yet Ryan would give the rich even more of a tax break at a time when our taxes are the lowest in three decades.
George Washington, whom Brooks also praises, would be surprised that the rich are being asked to shoulder less of a burden. He supported excise taxes that would fall disproportionately on the wealthy. When he went to war, he brought his wife, Martha, to share the hard, cold winter of Valley Forge along with him.
The wealthy have a special responsibility. From those who have been given much, much will be asked. In a true republic, people of wealth and privilege are first in line to serve in government, go to war, contribute to the honor and glory of their country. They set the nation’s values. If what they value is money, money, money, then the country will follow.
After 9/11, George Bush asked us to shop. At just the moment when he could have called us to a cause greater than ourselves, he (apparently on the advice of Karl Rove) urged us to step up for new TVs and designer bags rather than for the public good.
So if Brooks really wants to put an end to the politics of solipsism, he must take on the Republican party itself, which has done so little to cultivate the virtues of service, sacrifice, and commitment to country.
Please don’t lecture us about solipsism and republican virtues when it’s Republicans who are the ones who have made such a virtue of self interest.
Cross-posted from Atlantic.com
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET What are people making of Sarah Palin’s recently released emails? Pretty much nothing. [NY Magazine]
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords just released her first public photos since she was shot at an Arizona constituent event in January, in an effort to prevent the release of paparazzi photos. Her chief of staff says she may be released from the hospital before the end of the month. [Poynter Institute]
Twitter didn’t just create a new kind of political scandal, it also created this year’s version of the emoticon: the hashtag. #awesome [NY Times]
Remember WikiLeaks? Even though Julian Assange isn’t splashed across the news anymore, the website still affects how we get our political information. [CNN]
Facebook is awesome, but there’s certain virtual behaviors that have no place in real life. Example: don’t show random people your photos and ask them if they want to comment. [BuzzFeed]
By Kristen Hamilton, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET Well, why don’t you look at this? It looks like some of your favorite male athletes are once again trading in their cleats and Nike warm-ups for Prada loafers and Giorgio Armani suits. The latest rave in the men’s fashion world is not Jorts (much to Kentucky fans’ surprise) nor the UGGs for men that I mentioned a couple weeks ago (thank heavens!), but the reemergence of male athletes as fashion models. Huh? That’s right – they’re back. It happens almost every year, and 2011 is no different. In 2008, we saw Tom Brady and Eli Manning face off as cover boys for Esquire and Men’s Vogue, respectively, but that was nothing in comparison to last year’s fashion spell, which included Kobe Bryant tapping into his inner diva in a L.A. Times Magazine photo shoot, Tiger Woods posing for his infamous Vanity Fair cover, and Terrell Owens strutting his stuff down the runway. But, who will it be in 2011? Who will be the next major sports figure added to the expanding roster of athletes-turned-models?
Read the rest of…
The Politics of Fashion: Are Male Athletes Fashion’s Newest “It” Boys?
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
Let me introduce one of the worst laws regarding technology in recent years. A ban signed into law last week by Gov. Bill Haslam will have this effect “Anyone who sends or posts an image online (and yes, that includes TwitPics) that they “reasonably should know” would “cause emotional distress” could face several months in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.” Wow! [Engadget]
Newegg.com got a cease and desist from Best Buy for this one. [Youtube]
Google’s R&D team has been charged with making renewable energy cheaper than coal “within a few years.” I can’t wait to see what they come up with. [Fast Company]
Contact lenses that project a HUD (heads-up display) into your field of vision? Why not? [The Economist]
A company called Sonic.net that has been around since 1994, is introducing 1Gbps internet service along fiber-optic lines for $70 per month. Am I dreaming? [ars technica]
By Sandra Moon, RP Staff, on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
This week’s theme: Quote, unquote.
“Scripture tells you that all things shall pass,” said Mike Ditka after was fired from his Chicago Bears coaching job. That passage, however, is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Ignorance and confusion often lead those who profess a deep faith rooted in this book to misquote it, sometimes with theologically and socially harmful results. [CNN Belief Blog]
A young, Catholic U.S. President once said, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.” Texas Governor and likely Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, along with several other GOP candidates, don’t seem to agree. [LA Times Op-Ed]
There is a saying in the Talmud that “a liar’s punishment is that he is not believed even when he tells the truth.” In response to Congressman Weiner’s sexting scandal and the subsequent lies that followed, four rabbis offer him faith-based advice. [Religion News Service]
Unitarian Universality minister Marilyn Sewell often hears people say “You can believe anything and be a Unitarian Universalist.” What do Unitarian Universalists actually believe? Sewell gives a summary of the religion’s theology. [Huffington Post]
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET A few weeks ago, I experimented with opening up the site to our readers for their Memorial Day tributes to beloved veterans.
It proved to be one of my very favorite days in the long, storied history of The Recovering Politician.
Well, there’s one job that a man can hold that’s even more important than military service. And we celebrate those men every third Sunday in June.
It turns out that Fathers’ Day coincides this year with what would have been my own father’s 73rd birthday.
So to celebrate both milestones, this Sunday, we will open up the site to your tributes and remembrances to your fathers. Whether you’ll be spending the day with dear old dad, or his memory will comfort you through the weekend, we want to hear your stories about your father.
We also want to see pictures. (No, not those kinds of pictures, Washington insiders!). Send us a photo of your dad. Better yet, a photo of you with your dad. Best yet, a photo of you and your dad when you were a kid.
The deadline for submissions of a short essay (100-1000 words) on your father and accompanying picture is this Friday, June 17 at 10:00 PM EDT. Send them to Staff@TheRecoveringPolitician.com.
Let’s make Fathers’ Day an even more rewarding day at The Recovering Politician. Share your stories and honor your father even more. Thanks.
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