An interview with far-right pundit Joe Ralston from Nevada. He tries the various attacks, which Obama does an impressive job of turning back on Joe. Worth checking out for the video and analysis by the Washington Independent.

I think it's time for Obama to take advantage of the various attacks that are raised against him. Consider the free publicity that he's getting about 'becoming a symbol'. The part that it came from is short. Turn the whole quote - in context - into a commercial. That would effectively own the issue.

The NYT and even the WP are currently walking back stories they pushed that didn't stand up to scrutiny. Again, use the free publicity. Talk about visiting the troops, and then shift the subject to how McCain voted against educational benefits for GIs, and how he wants to restrict the VA to only specific injuries for those troops he claims to support. Again, the goal is to use the free publicity from these to redirect the narrative, and take advantage of the echo chamber.

The Associated Press has issued new licensing guidelines for quoting AP articles. The short version is that if you quote five or more words owned by the AP, you owe them royalties.

This apparently applies to 'fair use' such as copying articles to a co-worker in email. The AP also reserves the right to cancel your license at any time if they find your use of quotes "offensive" or "damaging" to their "reputation". No more quotes - I'm only one word away from a lawsuit. But a slightly braver soul can give you more details.

TPM is linking to the story "Ron Paul to Hold Separate Rally During GOP Convention", and it occurs to me that this seems like an excellent opportunity to help siphon votes away from the GOP. Sort of a reverse Operation Chaos/Ralph Nader approach. Thoughts?

Hi all,

Another poster started <a href="http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/06/his-dark-materials.php">their own review</a> for a set of novels that they'd liked. I'd like to suggest a book from a different genre - academia.

Here's an <a href="">amazon link</a>, reference and the publishers description:

Tavris, C., & Aronson, E. (2007). <i>Mistakes were made (but not by me): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions and hurtful acts</i> (1 ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

<blockquote>Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell?

Renowned social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson take a compelling look into how the brain is wired for self-justification. When we make mistakes, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong.

Backed by years of research and delivered in lively, energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception—how it works, the harm it can cause, and how we can overcome it.</blockquote>

I haven't finished the book yet, but from the first 80 pages, I think many readers may enjoy this topic, as several have expressed interest in response to the way modern politics and news coverage are often practiced.

From what I've been checking in the book's references, this is indeed well researched, and introduces the reader research base that the authors use to explore everyday behavior.

The writing is entertaining and open - sort of like S J Gould, Oliver Sacks or Lynn Margullis. My only (and growing) criticism of the book is that it lacks a bibliography and relies on endnotes. This makes it difficult to track down studies by a cited author because you have to check for the author's name in each chapter's endnotes. I doubt most readers will have a problem with this, but it is annoying.

If there's interest in this sort of book, please let me know and I'd be happy to suggest others on the neurology, psychology and sociology of belief justification and conceptual change.