All in all, this was a pretty dull event. Everyone was ridiculously civil, there were no fireworks, and no memorable quips from anyone. In fact, even when the panel of journalists set the candidates up to attack one another, no one took the bait. From where I sat, none of the serious candidates gained or […]
After more debates than could possibly be necessary, the seven remaining Democratic presidential candidates will meet tonight for the last debate before the New Hampshire primary. No matter what you thought of the previous 900 debates (I’m exaggerating, but not much), this one may actually have an impact on the race. Fox News will broadcast […]
I thought we were pretty much past this. Saddam Hussein’s regime was not tied to al Queda — it’s one of the few points that nearly everyone can agree on. Except Dick Cheney. The vice president was on National Public Radio this morning, where the urge to say things that are demonstrably false was apparently […]
When I think about political issues, I usually think of specific areas of policy — health care, education, the environment, etc. — and shy away from the vague areas of debate, on points such as “trust” and “values.” The prior are more substantive and easier to dissect; the latter are ambiguous and subjective. That said, […]
I was pleasantly surprised to hear Bush emphasize job training in the State of the Union the other night; it’s money well spent in a nation with chronic unemployment and drastic losses in manufacturing jobs. And then I realized I had nothing to be pleased about — this is the Bush White House, where rhetoric […]
It seemed a little odd at first. In November, the Washington Times, Wall Street Journal, and Fox News’ Sean Hannity suddenly “obtained” an unsent memo from Democrats on the Senate Judciary Committee. The memos proved slightly embarrassing, documenting how and why Dem senators were working with progressive political organizations, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund […]
While I’m sure the White House would love nothing more than to see Congress, the Justice Department, and everyone else forget all about the illegal leak of an undercover CIA agent, the story is nevertheless managing to stay in the news. The New York Times reported today that a group of former CIA agents, who […]
Going through Bush’s State of the Union address, it’s hard to pick out the single most deceptive and cynical manipulation of the truth. There’s just so much to choose from. But in light of some excellent analysis from Kevin Drum, I think there’s some consensus building around this: “Unless you act, Americans face a tax […]
A month ago, a Zogby poll in New Hampshire was released, showing Howard Dean in the lead with a whopping 42%, Kerry a distant second at 12%, and Clark in single digits at 9%. At the time, I foolishly said, “The question isn’t whether Dean will win, it’s how much he’ll win by.” (Note to […]
Speaking of the State of the Union, Bush appears to have missed a key opportunity Tuesday night. Presidents usually use the SOTU, particularly in an election year, to lay out a popular agenda that puts the opposition on the defensive and strikes a chord with the public. Bush appears to have done the opposite this […]