I’m afraid it’s another three-day weekend for me, but I still have some Poll Day data to share. It’s a relatively brief list this week (they can’t all be like last week), with only six states offering numbers. As always, these are the statewide presidential polls released over the last seven days. Florida (27 electoral […]
David Brooks had an interesting column a couple of weeks ago in which he raised a really good point: The left and right in America not only have different opinions about policy, but they literally perceive objective facts differently. Party affiliation even shapes people’s perceptions of reality. In 1960, Angus Campbell and others published a […]
Congressional Republicans play an annoying rhetorical game. If you oppose tax cuts for millionaires, you’re labeled “anti-growth.” If you vote against a bloated Pentagon budget, you’re “anti-defense.” If you reject a constitutional amendment on flag-burning, you’re “un-American.” Fortunately, the Dems have learned to play this game, too. If Republicans oppose a new veterans’ benefits package […]
I keep hearing rumors that Dems aren’t really excited about Kerry’s campaign and that his support is driven primarily by anti-Bush animus. It’s hard to reconcile this, however, with Kerry’s stunning fundraising success. Democratic candidate for President John Kerry today announced he has raised over $100 million in the three months since the Super Tuesday […]
As if the first and second Enron tapes weren’t bad enough, there’s a third. While most of the first two tapes emphasized Enron stealing and gouging in California, the new one details the company’s crimes in Nevada. “I want to see what pain and heartache this is going to cause Nevada Power Company,” says one […]
Certain myths take longer to debunk. Most of us know, for example, that Reagan ran for president promising to dramatically curtail federal spending. In reality, this didn’t happen. Likewise, when Clinton ran for president, his critics insisted that federal spending would reach unprecedented heights. This, we now know, was the opposite of the truth. Fortunately, […]
When the Taguba report was released earlier this year, it noted that prisoners were sometimes hidden from international observers, a practice which the report described as “deceptive, contrary to Army doctrine, and in violation of international law.” Taguba, however, did not identify who was responsible for the policy, only that it occurred in Iraq. This […]
Let’s stipulate from the outset that the perfect running mate for John Kerry doesn’t exist. All of the rumored possibilities on the short list have strengths and some weaknesses; the trick is finding the one with the fewest and least damaging flaws. Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), who appears to be one of the leading […]
By any reasonable standard, this is a tricky one to get out of. Dick Cheney lied about Iraq-al Queda ties on Monday and got caught. George W. Bush backed up Cheney’s lie on Tuesday. The 9/11 Commission made them both look ridiculous on Wednesday by debunking this persistent myth. So, what happens next? Republicans, at […]
By all indications, moderate Republicans are already an endangered species on Capitol Hill, but it appears there are a few new efforts underway to make them completely extinct. House Republicans, for example, are looking at the upper chamber’s alleged moderation with disdain. They’re even plotting to remake the Senate in their image. Dismayed at what […]