Finally, an answer
Forget everything you've heard, thought or imagined. The rise of the Islamic State may have its roots in climate change.
That's the conclusion of a blog post on the far left site Daily Kos. It explained that a drought in Syria that some blamed on man-made global warming partially destabilized the region. When that happened, the Islamic State filled the power vacuum.
"It's unfortunate that we in the U.S. have senior policy-makers playing rhetorical games with snowballs as the world warms up and populations are displaced," the post said. "But climate change denial isn't just bad science, it's bad business.
"And since our elected leaders increasingly take marching orders from corporate America instead of we the people, perhaps we can hope global energy companies and related firms, many of which are highly leveraged in the Middle East, will conclude that simply denying climate change is bad for their shareholders."
As might be expected, mockery of the piece came quickly. One Twitter responder tweeted that "climate change causes illegal email servers," while another wondered if climate change also may have been responsible for the lack of black actor nominations at the Academy Awards.
I said it; that settles it
If liberals say it, that settles it. Or so they choose to believe in framing their arguments about controversial issues.
Climate change has been their cause celebre over the last decade, most supporters of the theory of man-made global warming calling it "settled science." The fact that many scientists don't believe it is apparently no matter.
The most recent cause, though, is the definition of marriage.
CNN anchor Don Lemon -- a supposedly unbiased journalist -- said on "CNN Tonight" recently that the definition of marriage is settled and is not restricted to being "between a man and a woman."
Saying the matter has been decided by the courts -- though the Supreme Court is still weighing the issue -- the newsman called the issue "settled" and "not even in question anymore."
"There is no definition of marriage as between a man and woman," Lemon said. "Marriage is between two people" (or three as occurred recently in Thailand).
Of course, that will come as a great surprise to at least half the country -- depending on your favorite poll -- that believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but if he said it that must settle it.
But don't quote me
Former NBC anchor and "Meet The Press" host David Gregory spoke to the Independent Community Bankers of America conference last week. There, officials warned members of the press that his "remarks are off the record."
But that didn't stop some members of the Fourth Estate, including American Banker reporter Robert Barba, who live-tweeted a number of the former Big Media star's comments.
Among Gregory's observations were -- shocking, right? -- that a "liberal bias" in the media does exist but so do biases of culture, geography and conflict.
He also said the tea party has more in common with far-left Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts than the establishment Republican Party, that politicians are not challenged enough and that President Obama has been a "lame duck longer than he'd like to admit" and didn't enjoy politics as much as his predecessors.
As far as 2016, he said it would be "very difficult to see how" Hillary Clinton "doesn't get the nomination," and that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has the "advantage of experience and not being afraid to stand up to [his Republican] party.
Power donkeys
In the future, it may be possible to add Kathleen Matthews and MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews to the list of Democrats couples in which one is in government and the other in the media.
Cozy, eh?
After U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., announced recently that he would run for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., it was reported in Politico that Matthews planned to run for Van Hollen's 8th District seat.
Matthews, thought to be as liberal as her husband, is a former Washington, D.C., news anchor and is currently executive vice president and chief global-communications and public affairs officer with Marriott International.
Among other political power couples: Democratic strategist Mandy Grunwald and National Journal managing editor for White House coverage Matthew Cooper and former Obama press secretary Jay Carney and "Good Morning America" senior national correspondent Claire
Shipman.