I’ve never cared for the Electoral College. I appreciate its historical origins, and the power it allegedly extends to smaller states, but the system is, to put it mildly, flawed. It can (and has) produced presidents who came in second, it can depress turnout, and it shifts candidates’ attention to just those “battleground” states that […]
Just three months ago, the far-right American Family Association announced it would boycott Ford Motor Co. Nervous, Ford backed down and told the AFA that it would cut back on advertising in gay-oriented publications. A week later, the company came to its senses, reversed course, and announced that it would actually increase its advertising in […]
If you’re not familiar with deranged pastor Fred Phelps and his unhinged Westboro Baptist Church, consider yourself lucky. Phelps has an odd hobby: bringing his far-right followers from state to state in order to protest at the funerals for troops killed in Iraq, literally celebrating their death with signs that read “Thank God for dead […]
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: * Businessman Ned Lamont (D) kicked off his Senate campaign yesterday against Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D) in Connecticut. “Some of the party brass has suggested, ‘Ned, we don’t want to lose a safe […]
Did you hear about the nearly half-million people who rallied late last week against a Republican immigration bill in one of the nation’s largest cities? Funny, neither did I. (thanks to reader A.S. for the tip) Crowds marched through [Chicago] on Friday to rally against HR 4437 — The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration […]
After a particularly tough year in which his comments have gotten him into all manner of trouble, TV preacher Pat Robertson recently conceded that he needs to be more cautious in his choice of words. He told one magazine, “With these people trying to destroy me I can’t step into their trap anymore…. I’ve just […]
According to a front-page article in the Washington Post, Bush has suddenly embraced many of the ideas about Iraq’s future that he’s been rejecting. I read the speech — and I’m not all sure the Post is right. President Bush vowed for the first time yesterday to turn over most of Iraq to newly trained […]
Yes, another national poll was released. Yes, Bush is still extremely unpopular. But the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday included one tidbit I hadn’t seen before. First, the overview. President Bush’s “approval rating” has sunk to a new low according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll released Monday. The latest results show only 36% of […]
When Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) unveiled his censure resolution yesterday morning, the common belief was that Senate Republicans would never let it see the light of day, better yet hold a vote on the floor. As it happens, the opposite was true — Bill Frist brought the resolution to the floor just hours after it […]
At first blush, it would appear that the arrest of Claude Allen, a top domestic policy advisor to the president, wouldn’t necessarily reflect poorly on the White House. If the allegations are accurate, we’re looking at a troubled individual who felt compelled to shoplift from Target. It’s hard to blame that on the Bush gang. […]