THE WEEK IN EDITORIAL CARTOONS
This weekly diary takes a look at the past week's important news stories from the perspective of our leading editorial cartoonists (including a few foreign ones) with analysis and commentary added in by me.
When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:
- Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge base and help crystallize my thinking about the issue depicted?
- Does the cartoonist have any obvious biases that distort reality?
- Is the cartoonist reflecting prevailing public opinion or trying to shape it?
The answers will help determine the effectiveness of the cartoonist's message.
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Jeeves and Wooster
Mike Luckovich, Comics.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
PLEASE READ THIS: Because of the length of this weekly diary, sometimes Daily Kos reacts negatively -- isn't it always MB's fault? :-) -- and makes the Rec Button (and other stuff that you usually find in the upper right corner) disappear. Don't worry if that happens. Just scroll to the bottom of the diary past the last diary comment and you'll see the Rec Button there.
Note: As usual, I'll post this diary section-by-section to pinpoint HTML errors and will update as I go along within the next hour or so. Be patient, there's lots more coming.
Please leave your comments and I'll respond when I have finished posting the complete diary. Thanks
FINAL UPDATE: The complete diary is now posted.
Poor BP by Nick Anderson, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Houston Chronicle
Small People by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Yachting With Tony Hayward by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Send Naked Rahm to Talk to BP by J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register, Buy this cartoon
But Seriously, BP. Meet Naked Rahm ...
It's time to show BP who's boss. That's right. Bring in the Intimidator.
We call on President Obama to deploy Naked Rahm Emanuel to get all up in the faces of the BP board of directors.
Let's start with Tony Hayward's face, shall we? Let the @#%* fly.
-- Crowe writing on his blog and reminding us of the Rahm Emanuel-Eric Massa encounter in the shower from a few months ago
Yacht Race by Cam Cardow, Ottawa Citizen, Buy this cartoon
Steve Benson, Comics.com (Arizona Republic)
I Beg Your Barton by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Barton Backpedals by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon
Joe Barton Cleans Up His Mess by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
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INTRODUCTION
Mike Luckovich, Comics.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
In late-breaking developments, a number of editorial cartoons were posted last night and this morning about General Stanley McChrystal's foolish comments in an article published yesterday in Rolling Stone magazine. Suffice it to say, the general was not portrayed in a positive light in anticipation of his firing by President Barack Obama
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"Small people" Have a Short Fuse by J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register, Buy this cartoon
In the mid-1990's, a British classmate of mine from grad school in England came over for the first time to visit a few relatives of his in the Midwest and the South. Being a long-time student of international relations, it's always interesting for me to know what aspects of American culture others are inquisitive about. When he came here to Washington, D.C., my friend told me that he wanted to do three things on his trip: (1) cruise down I-95 at 100 miles an hour in a rental car, (2) see some pink flamingos as lawn ornaments, and (3) pay his respects to Elvis Presley in Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. I laughed and mentioned to him that when he stopped in small towns, he should make it a point not to denigrate the lifestyle of people who lived there by proving his bonafides as an European sophisticate and one that reflected his cosmopolitan upbringing in London.
(Note: I also wrote about this issue of the domestic urban-rural divide in an 2007 diary -- Growing Tomatoes, Dual Citizenship, and Ending the Red-Blue Political Divide -- which was based on an article by Barbara Kingsolver in Mother Jones magazine).
I reiterated to him that if he heeded this advice, people would reciprocate in a friendly manner. In many respects, these hard-working, industrious people were the backbone of this country and they wouldn't take too kindly to being looked down upon by foreigners, particularly from Great Britain. Upon his return, my friend said that two things amazed him about America: (1) how large and affluent the country was with its sense of time and space quite different from Europe and, (2) how friendly and polite people were wherever he went. And, yes, visiting Elvis in Memphis was indeed the highlight of his trip although he was disappointed that he didn't meet "The King" in person!
P.G. Woodehouse Presents BP CEO Tony Hayward and his Butler Jeeves and Wooster
BP Yachting and Gulf Spill by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
As you can see in several of the editorial cartoons in this diary, both Carl-Henric Svanberg, BP's Chairman, and Tony Hayward, BP's CEO, would have been well-advised to follow the same advice. And in a case of being divorced from political reality, Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) should have known better not to kowtow to these European Uber capitalists and corporate interests -- even if Big Oil has financed his past campaigns. But, that's what many politicians do. Lost in translation or not, the BP Chairman's characterization of average people reminded me of Leona Helmsley -- aka the "Queen of Mean" -- who famously once said, "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."
Crowe's cartoon and blog comment serves as "The Revenge of the Small People."
BP is startin' to remind me of me. They just can't say nothin' right.
The latest BP big wig to fumble an adjective in front of a microphone was the fancy-named Carl-Henric Svanberg. He kept goin' on and on about how BP cares about the "small people."
Condescension was drippin' off his nose like oil out of a dead dolphin's mouth.
Small people. Have a short fuse. Sir. But it's not up to you to make fun of it.
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Editorial cartoonists don't just enlighten us with their funny and thought-provoking cartoons but also depict public policy and political issues in an interesting manner which highlights the inadequacies -- and, the relevance -- of our political system. They are fully engaged in reporting on this environmental disaster and it is not surprising that some of the best cartoons have come from cartoonists in the Gulf Region. J.D. Crowe of the Mobile Register (read his bio) recently flew over the oil sick and took several stunning photographs and filed this report for his newspaper
Cartoonist Turns to Camera to Cover Oil Spill
J.D. Crowe, the staff cartoonist for the Press-Register in Mobile, AL takes photos of the Gulf oil spill from a coast guard helicopter. (Photo by Mike Bates, WEBY Radio)
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Most cartoonists have been using pen and ink to bring attention to the gulf oil spill, the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States.
But cartoonist J.D. Crowe had the opportunity to use a new tool: a camera.
Crowe, the staff cartoonist for the Press-Reigster in Mobile, Alabama, flew on a coast guard helicopter 120 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico to the "The Source," the name given to the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion where the well continues to gush oil.
"I’ve been drawing about the oil spill daily, and have been hoping for a chance to see the thing in real life," wrote Crowe.
Check out the photos Crowe took, as well as the write-up about his experience, here.
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Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon
In other weekly news, the discovery of over one trillion dollars in minerals in Afghanistan resulted in several cartoons questioning the long-term motives of keeping American troops in that country; President Obama's Oval Office address refueled talk of alternative sources of energy and reignited criticism as to how hard the president should push for radical new measures to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels; and Big Oil continued to take a beating for its less-than-transparent approach to avoiding future disasters.
The World Cup being played all over South Africa served as a source of many new cartoons. In a thrilling finish this morning, the U.S. soccer team advanced to the Round of 16 by beating Algeria 1-0 on a last-minute goal. As a reminder, you can watch the game on your computer as I indicated in my last weekly diary in the 'Introduction' section.
World Cup by Paul Zanetti, Freelance Cartoonist (Australia), Buy this cartoon
There are over 115 cartoons in this diary and I'll probably post, as usual, another 25-30 in the comments section. The next edition of this diary will be posted on Tuesday, July 6th. Thanks.
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1. CARTOONS OF THE WEEK
A Teachable Moment by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Bill Day, Comics.com (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)
Team America In Afghanistan, by RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon
General McChrystal by Nate Beeler, Washington Examiner, Buy this cartoon
Kick Ass by Kirk Walters, Toledo Blade, Buy this cartoon
Today's Forecast by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Drew Sheneman, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Newark Star-Ledger
My favorite part of the oil hearings was when they reviewed the spill response plans to discover there are plans for saving the indigenous walrus population. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the ecology of the Gulf, but it isn't exactly teeming with walruses. In fact there is a dearth of walruses. Not a single walrus.
Is the plural of walrus walruses or walri?
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News, Buy this cartoon
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2. General Insurrection: Hello Citizen McChrystal!
General Stanley McChrystal by Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant, Buy this cartoon
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Englehart's comment over General Stanley McChrystal's interview with Rolling Stone magazine underscores an important principle in a representative democracy: the primacy of the elected civilian leadership over the military. Drilled into their heads repeatedly while under training at military academies, the job of any professional soldier is to obey orders and air disagreements, if any, privately and not in a public forum
Wow, look at those ears! He certainly can challenge his boss on ear size. Other than that, I'd say no, general. Big mistake. Certainly you'll be able to find a high-paying job at Faux News. The Conservativists are going ape over General Stanley McChrystal's diatribe about his boss in Rolling Stone. They're saying President Obama should be fired and the general doesn't need to apologize. Of course, these conservativists don't work for Obama, nor will they ever.
In classic Conservativist hypocrisy, they're also criticizing Obama's lack of military service. They had no problem with the lack of military service when the Vice Idiot "Deadeye Dick" Cheney and his office boy W (whose closest tour of duty was posing for a picture in a fighter jet) were in office. God, these Wrong Wingers are a frightful boor.
What was McChrystal thinking? Sounds to me like he was drunk. I didn't read the piece so I don't know the exact circumstances, but if he was interviewed in the Officer's Club, I'd understand. His admission of "poor judgement" is an understatement. Maybe he has dyslexia.
If I was going to talk about my boss in a publication, I'd talk about her solid leadership, good judgement, and fine writing ability. I'd praise her skill at handling people, her work ethic, her intelligence, her love of the newspaper industry, and her excellent journalistic abilities. I'd include her intimate knowledge of the law, newspaper ethics, her good instincts, and hell, her good looks. See, Stanley? That's how you do it.
General McChrystal vs President Obama by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
McChrystal by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
General McChrystal by Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
General McChrystal by Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record, Buy this cartoon
General McChrystal Wants Medal For Exercising Restraint by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
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3. More About the "Gentleman" From Texas, Joe Barton and His Paymasters at British Petroleum
Chan Lowe, Comics.com, see reader comments in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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America's Most Hated Man
What kind of person was Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) defending when BP's CEO Tony Hayward testified last week before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations? Lowe is very clear about it and doesn't mince any words in describing the kind of person he thinks Hayward is
What do you do with a person who feigns repentance when his heart and mind remain wrapped around the idea of safeguarding the bottom line above all else?
How about some condign punishment? Throw him in a cell lined with defective Chinese drywall, where he can spend the balance of his days inhaling the brimstone-laced fumes of a corporate irresponsibility that he had nothing to do with.
God knows BP’s victims have already been condemned to such a fate.
Poor Bluto by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Buy this cartoon
Jim Morin, Miami Herald
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Signe Wilkinson, Comics.com (Philadelphia Daily News)
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
The Apologist by Matt Davies, Comics.com, see reader comments in the New York Journal News)
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Loss of Habitat by Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News, Buy this cartoon
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Summer Solstice by Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
Gary Varvel, Comics.com (Indianapolis Star-News)
Got My Life Back by Bruce Plante, see reader comments in Tulsa World, Buy this cartoon
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4. The Consequences of Big Oil
Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of the Rocky Mountain News)
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Stein isn't too unhappy that BP is having a great deal of difficulty in controlling the public relations war and its stock price
I couldn’t resist this one. The inept goalie was too good an image to pass up. After the beating BP is taking from the American people and Obama, and then (perhaps even worse, at least for the English psyche) the fumbled goal in the World Cup, the British seem about ready to re-fight the Revolution. I say let’s have at it; we need a victory somewhere.
Chan Lowe, Comics.com (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Tony "Waif" Hayward by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Despicable Me, BP CEO by Bill Schorr, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Bill Day, Comics.com (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Pelican Revenge by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Invisible Hand of the Free Market Man by
Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Oil-flood with Ark by Arend van Dam, Freelance Cartoonist (The Netherlands), Buy this cartoon
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
BP Apologies by Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record, Buy this cartoon
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
I'm So Sorry by Olle Johansson, Freelance Cartoonist (Sweden), Buy this cartoon
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Steve Kelley, Comics.com (New Orleans Times-Picayune
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5. The Oval Office Speech: Where's the Long-term Alternative Energy Plan?
Chan Lowe, Comics.com, see reader comments in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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In an excellent comment, Lowe evokes the memories of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and urges President Obama to provide more leadership and announce bold measures resulting in structurally redefining this country's relationship with fossil fuels. It doesn't involve getting angry or being petty. Rather, if the president chooses to do so, he could effectively use -- to borrow Teddy Roosevelt's term -- the bully pulpit and persuade Congress to follow his lead. Congress, rarely if ever, acts decisively unless voters or the president put the fear of God in its members.
Lowe's disagreement with President Obama has largely got to do with style and not as much with substance. It is difficult to rationally argue with the president convincing BP to set aside $20 billion (and probably more) in an escrow fund to settle claims in the Gulf Coast region. That's not the point.
In an New York Times/CBS News poll released this past Monday, while there is widespead dissatisfaction amongst the public about the direction of the country, most of the public believes a new energy plan is desirable to eventually replace fossil fuels. To be sure, it is an ambitious goal and a very difficult project but one that is doable with presidential leadership.
That's Lowe's point.
As for President Obama’s speech last night, I found myself unsatisfied. Sure, we elected the guy partly because he was cool and unflappable under fire, but sometimes circumstances call for more than a reasonable, analytical approach. They call for a little kick-ass.
As for President Obama’s speech last night, I found myself unsatisfied. Sure, we elected the guy partly because he was cool and unflappable under fire, but sometimes circumstances call for more than a reasonable, analytical approach. They call for a little kick-ass.
Some say we shouldn’t blame him, because there really isn’t much a president can do besides show up at the scene and look concerned. They are wrong. Were the president an FDR-style leader -- a man with a sense of theatricality who was not afraid to display his emotional side with the nation in need of an emoter-in-chief -- he could harness the inchoate anger of public babble and -- like a laser mirror -- forge and amplify it into a monochromatic beam of pure political energy.
He could focus this beam -- a beam so white hot that no lobbyist could quench it, not even with a fire hose spewing campaign contributions -- on an inert and fearful congress, making it sizzle to the point where members would jump out of them to pass a set of meaningful laws that would finally break our addiction to fossil fuels and get us on the road to sustainable, clean energy, Manhattan Project-style.
Oh, well.
Artist's Note: Why no color today? I was evoking a speech given in 1941. Everything back then happened in black and white...just ask your grandparents.
Matt Bors, Comics.com (Idiot Box)
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Obama desk and BP Spill by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Obama Pan by RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon
Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Energy Wake-up Call by Dan Wasserman, Comics.com (Boston Globe)
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
The Gusher by Nate Beeler, Washington Examiner, Buy this cartoon
Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Matt Davies, Comics.com (New York Journal News)
Steve Benson, Comics.com (Arizona Republic)
Take your Time by Tom Toles, see reader comments
in the Washington Post
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Oil Spill Advice from Bush by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, Buy this cartoon
Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Lalo Alcaraz, LA Weekly, Buy this cartoon
Matt Wuerker, Politico
(click link to enlarge cartoon
in Wuerker's archive)
August J. Pollak, Some Guy With a Website
David Cohen, Asheville Citizen-Times
Steve Sack, Comics.com (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Jack Ohman, Comics.com (Portland Oregonian)
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6. Democrats and the 2010 Elections
Southern Strategy by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
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7. Wingnut Land
Mike Thompson, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Detroit Free Press
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Thompson points out the obvious. When out of power, Republicans suddenly pretend to care for fiscal discipline. What is the GOP's solution to expanding the economy? You guessed it... more tax cuts. Most voters can see through this hypocrisy and if the economy improves by the 2010 Elections in November, they'll reward the Democratic Party, which saved the country from another economic depression
Party of Fiscal Responsibility?
Better late than never, I suppose.
After ignoring deficits during the Bush years, the topic is suddenly the rage among Republicans who are shocked that money had to be spent to stabilize the economy after the economic freefall created by Bush. President Barack Obama, for all he has gotten wrong, got it right when he said that the stimulus bill prevented another Great Depression.
Undoubtedly, Republicans will argue that another round of tax cuts for millionaires is the solution to the problem.
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Bruce Plante, see reader comments in Tulsa World, Buy this cartoon
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Libertarianism by Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Ideology Surfing by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon
Jim Morin, Miami Herald
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
David Horsey, see reader comments in the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
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8. The Afghanistan War: Minerals Jackpot
Justification for Afghan War by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon
Seek and Ye Shall Find by Tom Toles, see
reader comments in the Washington Post
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Scott Stantis, Comics.com (Chicago Tribune)
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Bruce Beattie, Comics.com (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
There's Gold In Them Thar Hills by RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon
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9. Waiting for Real Financial Reform
Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of the Rocky Mountain News)
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Stein thinks that the banking industry is getting a very good deal as Financial Reform has been diluted significantly to the point so as to barely benefit consumers much, if at all. Could this have anything to do with politicians in Congress being showered with campaign contributions by lobbyists representing Wall Street?
Surprise! It looks as though the lobbyists are going to win again. The long-delayed financial reform bill is finally taking shape, with a vastly weakened Volcker rule, which would have kept banks from investing their own money in risky bets on the market, and would have prohibited them from owning hedge funds and private equity firms. In other words, the only fix that might have a chance at preventing another economic meltdown is being fixed by Wall Street lobbyists and their willing cohorts in Congress.
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
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10. The World Cup: Vuvuzela Time and the Beat Goes On
Steve Breen, Comics.com (San Diego Union-Tribune)
The World and Soccer by Dario Castillejos, Imparcial de Oaxaca (Oaxaca, Mexico), Buy this cartoon
Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader
(click link to enlarge cartoon)
Vuvuzela Time by Martin Sutovec, Freelance Cartoonist (Slovakia), Buy this cartoon
FIFA World Cup and Vuvuzela Noise by Arend van Dam, Freelance Cartoonist (The Netherlands), Buy this cartoon
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11. Final Thoughts
Finally, is America beautiful or is that only the case in patriotic songs and on FOX News? Jen Sorensen is very unhappy with unrestrained commercial development and how it is contributing to an ugly landscape around the country
Jen Sorensen, Slowpoke, Buy this cartoon
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Whenever I travel by highway, I am struck by how determined we seem to destroy the country with ugliness. The drive from Seattle to Portland is not especially ugly compared to others, but it has its moments (I'm looking at you, Tacoma-area sprawl). This grotesque lack of attention to aesthetics really, really bothers me. We're letting commercial developers ruin everything that's not within an urban core. Opposing this stuff doesn't make me a snob; it makes me patriotic. The song is "America the Beautiful," not "America the Sh!thole," dammit.
My parents recently reported that their neighbors, who have a deep affinity for crap (among other things, they bought their children an actual golf cart to drive in circles around the neighborhood), just installed a hideous above-ground pool in their backyard. That's where the pool reference in the comic came from.
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A Note About the Diary Poll
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News, Buy this cartoon
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Was Presidet Obama justified in relieving General Stanley McChrystal of his duties when he met earlier today with the general? The president's decision did not surprise me a bit. Professional soldiers are taught to keep their mouth shut (at least in public) and obey orders. While General McChrystal's exceptionally poor judgment isn't on par with other such high-profile cases in the past -- notably that of General George B. McClellan during the Civil War in the 1860's and General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War in the early 1950's -- it is, nonetheless, insubordination and that is an absolute no-no for a very high-ranking military officer who commands American forces in Afghanistan.
What do you think? Remember to take the diary poll.
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Marshall Ramsey, Comics.com (Clairon Ledger, Jackson, MS)
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Crossposted at Docudharma
