The debate over the U.S. policy towards Iraq (and the debate over the debate) has taken several twists and turns over the course of five long and painful years, but if there’s one thing I thought the entire Republican establishment agreed on, it’s this: don’t disagree with Gen. David Petraeus. His judgment is sacrosanct, his […]
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: * Campaigning in Indiana over the weekend, Barack Obama continued to respond to the controversy surrounding his former pastor. The NYT noted that Obama implored an Indiana audience to set aside racial divisions […]
Clark Hoyt, the NYT’s public editor, wrote an item in January exploring the paper’s decision to hire Bill Kristol as a columnist, a move Hoyt described as a “mistake.” For his part, Kristol has spent the last two months proving Hoyt right. In his latest gem, Kristol picks up on the conservative attack of the […]
When it comes to broadcast media, it’s increasingly common for networks to move away from hiring journalists to offer analysis and commentary, and towards professionals from the industry itself. In the world of sports, that means putting retired athletes in the booth instead of journalists or professional broadcasters. In the world of politics, that means […]
It was, to my mind, arguably the single most hackish moment of John McCain’s career. Last April, desperate to convince Americans that he was right about Iraq, the senator toured Baghdad’s Shorja market, bragged about how safe it was, and touted his experience as proof that Americans were not getting the “full picture about what’s […]
A year ago, Bear Stearns — up until fairly recently a leading investment, securities and brokerage firm — saw its stock trading for $170 a share. By the end of the calendar year, it was about $88 a share. As recently as four days ago, it was $57 a share. Yesterday, the entire company, in […]