‘You get to live free, but you don’t’

I know we’ll all be hearing a lot of noise about the gay marriage decision out of Massachusetts today, but for all of you who’ll be hearing from conservatives about how we’ll need new laws to prevent gay marriages and override states’ rights, I’d like to offer you a quote (via Atrios) that may be […]

Kerry’s new staffers help shape a persuasive new campaign theme

I’ve heard John Kerry’s stump speech a few times this year and I’ve always thought it was pretty good. He’s experimented with a few different tacks, including various emphases on his record as a war hero, but substantively, Kerry has always made a strong pitch about his priorities. That said, the competitions within his staff […]

It’s still Dean and Clark leading the field in national polls

Three national polls tracking the Dem presidential candidates show more or less the same thing: Dean and Clark battling it out for the lead. Dean and Gephardt may be neck and neck in Iowa, and Dean appears to be running away with New Hampshire, but nationally, Clark is holding his own nicely. In a CNN/USA […]

Eisenhower read nine newspapers a day; Bush prefers his news ‘filtered’

Editor and Publisher’s Carl Sullivan noticed an interesting item about previous presidents’ appetite for news and how they compare with the current occupant of the Oval Office. Sullivan noted that this week’s “50 Years Ago” feature on E&P magazine notes that Dwight Eisenhower read nine newspaper a day. As the Nov. 21, 1953 issue of […]

Bush bounce? What Bush bounce?

A couple of weeks ago, a few polls showed Bush’s job approval ratings ticking back up, perhaps in light of strong GDP growth in the third quarter. Nevertheless, three national polls from the last week show that if Bush was enjoying a small bounce in the popularity, it’s since disappeared. First, the latest CNN/USA Today […]

Massachusetts high court clears way for gay marriage

In a decision that will likely reverberate in legal and political circles for a long time, Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court ruled this morning that the state cannot deny gays and lesbians the right to marry. The 4-3 ruling said the state “failed to identify any constitutionally adequate reason for denying civil marriage to same-sex couples.” […]

Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle

I hope you’re sitting down because I have mind-blowing news from Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie: the GOP is now officially concerned about the influence of wealthy donors in the political process. Gillespie’s not talking about the power the wealthy have over the Republicans, of course, he’s deeply troubled by the support financier George […]

Another meaningless petition drive to ‘save’ the Ten Commandments

It’s hard to get too worked up over the latest religious right scheme to gather signatures to “demand” that Congress “save” the Ten Commandments. After all, the Decalogue isn’t in any danger, and therefore does not need saving. Just as importantly, folks can gather all the signatures they want, but unless they plan on scrapping […]

Has the Clergy Leadership Network found a niche?

I saw in the New York Times today that a new group is being created to help the left counter the religious right’s influence when it comes to political campaigns, policy debates, and voters who take faith seriously. “In an effort to counter the influence of conservative Christian organizations, a coalition of moderate and liberal […]

Tempting though it may be, the Dems cannot write off the South

Univ of Maryland prof Thomas Schaller had a really interesting item in the Washington Post yesterday in which he suggested that Democratic presidential candidates can’t expect to win in the South, so they’d be better off giving up on the region and focusing attention elsewhere. “Solid Republican victories in the Kentucky and Mississippi governors’ races, […]