quote of the day

“In the year since I issued a prepared statement regarding President Obama speaking to the Nation’s school children, I have learned a great deal about the party I so deeply loved and served.

Unfortunately, I found that many within the GOP have racist views and I apologize to the President for my opposition to his speech last year and my efforts to placate the extremists who dominate our Party today.

My children and I look forward to the President’s speech.”

– jim greer
former florida gop chairman

it's easy when you don't feel the heat

not enough has been made of the fact that the anti-islam, muslim bashing that's been ratcheted up over the last few weeks could actually put our fighting men and women in more danger. this is often the cry from the right, when liberals or moderates question things like the reasons for going to war, for continuing to support war, for not ending war: "they don't support the troops!"

now, huffington post reports that some of those fighting men and women are sounding off against that rhetoric

A small but growing group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have signed onto an open letter which calls on the American public to respect "the values we risked our lives to protect" and to avoid endangering the mission -- and safety -- of U.S. forces in the Mideast.

"America, you gotta have our back," reads the letter. "Those who would vilify and target Muslims on grounds of their religious belief not only show a deep disrespect for American values, but put American lives at risk. It's easy to burn a Koran when you won't feel the heat."

there won't be might be trumpets

the newly named stephen sondheim theatre (formerly henry miller's theatre) operated by roundabout theatre company, will receive an official unveiling and lighting ceremony wednesday, september 15 at 6:30 p.m.

the movie you don't want to be good

you can't possibly be excited to see a movie about facebook, can you? no, you can't be. no, stop. you can't be. but you should be, says rolling stone's peter travers:

This is the first film I've seen so far in 2010 that deserves my highest rating, 4 stars. It's better than the movie of the year. The Social Network also defines the decade.

How so?

Director David Fincher, working brilliantly from a dazzlingly complex script by Aaron Sorkin, uses the rise and rise of Facebook to examine a generation that can't communicate despite its obsession with social networking.

The performances are award caliber, led by Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who conceived the idea as a Harvard student. The squabbling between Zuckerberg and his friends who want a piece of the site, including Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield is outstanding) and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake, an acting revelation), makes for a fierce and funny powerhouse, a modern Rashomon that will pin you to your seat.

the social network arrives in theatres october 1st. the trailer is below.

pardon me sir, does your dog bite?

frank rich suggests that, thanks to the return of the tougher, scrappier barack obama, the november elections might not be the tidal wave big media is telling us it they will be:

On Labor Day, the fighting Obama abruptly re-emerged... Speaking to workers in Milwaukee, the president finally started giving voice to the anger of America’s battered middle class. And he even let loose with a little anger of his own. The unspecified “powerful interests” aligned against him, he said, “talk about me like a dog.”

That inelegant line — “not in my prepared remarks,” Obama explained — landed because it was true and because he said it with a grin. Americans like their warriors happy...

For a guy facing a tidal wave, the president was so ebullient, you had to wonder if he knew something we didn’t. Maybe he simply read the unabridged poll numbers rather than the CliffsNotes summaries of cable news. Those numbers are hardly as monochromatic as advertised.

obama needs a little more "dog" in 'em. dare i say it? maybe a little more pit bull - sans the lipstick, of course.

obama in milwaukee:

"America was not built on hate"

nicholas kristof considers the debate over islam happening in our country and sums it up beautifully, especially in the last 1/4 of his piece, as he brings to light some of the more prominent christian and jewish leaders who have not used this moment in our history to bash muslims or, for that matter, our constitution:

“Shame on you,” the Rev. Richard Cizik, a leading evangelical Christian, said to those castigating Islam. “You bring dishonor to the name of Jesus Christ. You directly disobey his commandment to love your neighbor.”

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick put it this way: “This is not America. America was not built on hate.”

as with any group or religion, we are too often defined by the extremes. it's good to remember that in the midst of all the crazy out there.

new yorkers: about face

simon hogsberg gets ten new yorkers to talk about their faces.