For all the complaining I do about poor journalism, I should note that this AFP article is well-written, factual, objective, and best of all, informative. (via Beutler) US President George W. Bush charged Monday that Iran has openly declared that it seeks nuclear weapons — an inaccurate accusation at a time of sharp tensions between […]
The extent to which Barack Obama’s comments about Pakistan have been twisted beyond recognition continues to astound me. The problem is not just that American voters are gong to be confused by the errors, but also that an international audience will be misled. This truly bizarre piece, for example, ran in the Pakistani press. United […]
This is as bad as it sounds. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended his five sons’ decision not to enlist in the military, saying they’re showing their support for the country by “helping me get elected.” Romney, who did not serve in Vietnam due to his Mormon missionary work and a high draft […]
As of today, the New Hampshire primary is scheduled for Jan. 22, eight days after the Iowa caucuses. South Carolina’s primary is supposed to take place 10 days later, on Feb. 2. But with Florida officials ignoring the national parties, the calendar is about to get ridiculous. South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson will […]
About two weeks ago, Anne-Marie Slaughter, the dean of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, wrote a much-discussed Washington Post piece about bipartisanship. I’m hard-pressed to think of anyone who found Slaughter’s item worthwhile — it seemed to praise bipartisanship for the sake of bipartisanship. It was Broderism at its least helpful. […]
A couple of weeks ago, actor/senator/lobbyist Fred Thompson, a leading GOP presidential contender despite not having launched a campaign, lost his campaign manager, research director, and spokesperson in the course of a couple of days. Apparently, he fired his economic advisor, too. In his latest column, Thompson argues that Bush’s economic policies are superior to […]
The NYT’s Michael Gordon has developed an unfortunate habit. Bush administration officials and U.S. military leaders will pass along sensational tips about Iran intervening in Iraq to the detriment of American troops. Gordon, who wrote several wrong articles about Iraqi WMD before the invasion, dutifully passes along the administration’s line with minimal scrutiny. (E&P noted […]
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: * Bill Richardson unveiled his policy on a national healthcare system yesterday, though he went into far less detail than his top-tier rivals. “Speaking in Iowa, the New Mexico governor said he would […]
When describing the nation’s counter-terrorism campaign, we generally hear quite a bit about a “generational” conflict, but John McCain kicked things up a notch the other day, claiming the “global war on terror” will last quite a few generations. “I … firmly believe that the challenge of the 21st century is the struggle against radical […]
Al Gore seems all-too-aware of what the reality-based community is up against. Research aimed at disputing the scientific consensus on global warming is part of a huge public misinformation campaign funded by some of the world’s largest carbon polluters, former Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday. “There has been an organized campaign, financed to the […]