I’ve found it difficult to write much of anything about the devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The tragedy is so overwhelming, it defies description. There were some early reports on Monday afternoon suggesting that Hurricane Katrina had taken a subtle shift to the east, preventing what would have been a true catastrophe. These reports […]
Conservative Republicans, who are bound together by the principle of limited government, the free market, and the power of consumers’ choice, have taken quite an interest in your television. [Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin] is now poised to win the broader indecency war. During the long hot summer in Washington, he has been quietly […]
Our old friend Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum is in a tough spot. Actually, he’s been in a tough spot for a while and hasn’t figured out a way to make it any better. As it stands now, Santorum is trailing Bob Casey Jr. in polls for next year’s race. Pennsylvania voters are looking for […]
Two important news items, one important message. First up is the latest poverty statistics from the Census Bureau. The nation’s poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population last year, the fourth consecutive annual increase, the Census Bureau said Tuesday. The percentage of people without health insurance did not change. Overall, there were 37 […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * I mentioned way back in April that Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D), who narrowly lost a bid for governor in 2004, is the Dems’ top choice to take on Sen. Jim […]
Kevin Drum had a couple of terrific items last week on the legal principle conservatives call “originalism.” It’s the idea that the only defensible way for federal judges to consider cases is to rule based on a narrow, literal reading of the Constitution as it was written, based exclusively on the meaning intended by the […]
For the better part of August, as Cindy Sheehan’s protest has generated attention for her cause and heartburn for the White House, the Bush message machine has tried to marginalize her, suggesting she represents a small, dovish minority. It just isn’t true. Slightly more than half of the country says President Bush should meet with […]
Following up on last week’s item about the awkward relationship between ABC/Disney and TV preacher Pat Robertson, ABC Family has gone to greater lengths to distance itself from the crazed televangelist. The network has made it clear that it’s less-than-thrilled about being contractually obligated to keep this clown on the air. After the recent “assassination” […]
In 2003, Ernie Fletcher became the first Republican to win the Kentucky governorship since 1967. At this rate, he might be the last one for a while. Earlier this year, documents, including notes and emails, came to light that showed Fletcher’s hiring decisions were based almost exclusively on partisanship and not individual qualifications — you […]
David Stoeffler took over as editor of the Arizona Daily Star a couple of months ago, and to his credit, one of his first major decisions was to throw out the trash. [W]e’ve decided that syndicated columnist Ann Coulter has worn out her welcome. Many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited. And those are […]