Hearing all that sycophantic applause must make a guy tired

Four years ago, when one of the closest races in history was nearly over, BC00 announced that Bush was taking a break. In fact, while common sense dictated that the candidate work on shoring up last minute support, Bush took a day off. And this year, he’s doing it again. The presidency may be hard […]

Is the ‘Hunter Vote’ still competitive?

There’s a perfectly good reason for this. Clad in camouflage clothing, a 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun under his arm, Senator John Kerry and three fellow hunters emerged from an eastern Ohio cornfield Thursday morning with four dead geese and an image his aides hope will help shore up his macho bona fides among rural voters. This […]

When wars collide

The Washington Post ran a front-page story today on how the administration shifted its attention from Afghanistan to Iraq in 2002. This may seem like well-covered ground, because it is, but this story really deserves to be read. It’s a breathtaking, behind-the-scenes look. In particular, the piece looks at Bush’s approach to destroying al Queda. […]

More like, ‘The quality of the campaign is deteriorating because of junk rhetoric’

Bush is back to the one issue he really cares about. “The effects of the litigation culture are real in the state of Pennsylvania…. The quality of life is deteriorating because of the junk lawsuits.” Does he mean cases like this one? In 1999, Rick Santorum testified in his wife’s $500,000 medical malpractice case against […]

The ‘diabolical paradox’ of fact-check reporting

I wish it happened more, but much of the mainstream media deserves some credit for taking on tepid fact-checking responsibilities this election season. There are still far too many stories resembling glorified transcripts — one side said this, the other said that — but I think it’s fair to note that fact-checking seems to be […]

Tom DeLay just isn’t having a good month

Remember when Tom DeLay’s office orchestrated a scheme whereby federal officials were used to track down Texas Democrats breaking a quorum? There’s an ongoing lawsuit over the affair — and there are a few questions DeLay will have to answer under oath. Lawyers for a Texas state representative this week subpoenaed House Majority Leader Tom […]

The worst ad yet

You’ve got to be kidding me. [The Bush campaign’s new ad] shows a dense forest from above. Scurrying is heard as the camera plunges deeper into the woods and pans sunlight-speckled trees. Shadows move through the brush before animals are seen amid the forest. Then, the ad reveals the type of animal: a pack of […]

Bush’s confused supporters

Hoping to reinforce attacks on John Kerry’s alleged inconsistencies, Bush seems to enjoy a specific sound bite. He says it on the stump all the time and he used it in the debates. “I understand everybody in this country doesn’t agree with the decisions I’ve made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know […]

Bush’s crowd control — coerced volunteering edition

Those Bush campaign officials sure are sneaky. On a chilly recent morning at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Bush backers showing up early for a rally were greeted with a sign that said, “Want to be closer? Upgrade your tickets here!” Those who signed up were taken to a table of cell phones near where first […]

The media has its priorities; are they yours? Part II

Two interesting things happened yesterday with the Kerry campaign. Only one was important. Guess which was all over the national media today? In March, an NBC News report explained that the Bush administration had an opportunity to strike against Abu Musab Zarqawi on multiple occasions, but chose not to. It was a devastating story, which […]