In the wake of last week's startling upset of Eric Cantor, it would be easy to believe that the political middle will once again be left out in the cold. Yet something unique is happening this primary season. Political moderates, the perennial underdogs of party primaries, the forgotten footnotes to the partisan favorites, are mobilizing. It's a trend across the country, seen not just in the Republican backlash against the tea party, but in independent candidates and unique, moderate Democrats.

“On a trip to the Middle East this spring, we heard a constant refrain in capitals from the Persian Gulf to Israel, "Can you please explain what your president is doing?" "Why is he walking away?" "Why is he so blithely sacrificing the hard fought gains you secured in Iraq?" "Why is he abandoning your friends?" "Why is he doing deals with your enemies?" –Dick and Liz Cheney in the Wall Street Journal, 6/17/14

Every time I am

Two federal district courts are expected to rule on the constitutionality of ag-gag laws, laws which make it illegal for undercover investigators -- often from established animal rights groups -- to enter agricultural operations under false pretenses and make audio or video recordings documenting animal abuse.

The California secretary of state's website shows former state Assembly Speaker John Perez widening his lead over fellow Democrat Betty Yee to more than 1,800 votes. But, experienced vote counters tell IVN that Yee is poised to edge Perez out.

A Democratic operative is working with the Mississippi Conservative PAC to rally support for incumbent U.S Senator Thad Cochran (R), who is in a heated primary runoff race against Mississippi state Senator Chris McDaniel. According to The Clarion-Ledger, James "Scooby Doo" Warren says he has put together a statewide get-out-the-vote (GOTV) plan with the help of the PAC and New Horizon Church pastor Bishop Ronnie Crudup, Sr.

The results are in from Iraq’s parliamentary elections from April 2014. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition received 92 of parliament’s 328 seats. The absence of a clear majority means that over the following weeks and months, Iraq’s leading politicians will be trying to form alliances and broker deals that will produce a majoritarian coalition government.

http://youtu.be/DON-aM2tze4

I am not a subscriber to the opinion that the United States is “the best there is.” In fact, I am of the opinion that it is indeed not the best. Rather, our nation, like many others, is in an ongoing evolutionary process -- a collection of efforts by many before us attempting to become the best, and one in which we'll very likely be a reference for future efforts.

It's no secret that America's military is rife with waste. Among the $300 dollar toilet seats or $100 hammers, the military wastes millions of dollars a year on so-called "green" programs and procurement. The DoD says that they are looking to the future, but critics say it's a colossal waste of money with very little return.

This spending is going on while service members are facing cuts to their compensation and reliable defense systems are being scrapped. To add insult to injury, many of these programs and purchases seem to be based on half-truths or scare tactics.

In an article published on Friday, June 13, 2014, Vox writer Ezra Klein highlights was is arguably the most important thing to take from Pew's survey on partisanship in America. It is something that has been talked about many times on IVN, and confirmed by research groups like Pew Research: the people who participate most in politics are the most partisan and most ideological.

On June 10, 2014, 55 percent of 65,000 voters from more than 700,000 residents in the seventh district of Virginia cast ballots in an open primary with one question. By an 11-point margin, they soundly rejected their 13-year incumbent, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Cantor had handily defeated previous primary opponents.