Proportional electoral votes in Colorado

A drive in Colorado to change the way the state’s electoral votes are allocated is not only one of the most interesting ballot initiatives in the country, it also has the potential to have an immediate impact on this year’s presidential election. Here’s the deal in a nutshell: right now, Colorado, like every state except […]

Managing debate expectations

If you didn’t already know better, you’d think Bush doesn’t want to talk about debating John Kerry. In March, Kerry proposed monthly “issue” debates. Bush balked. Kerry tried again in April, to no avail. In July, the Commission on Presidential Debates released a schedule of four debates (three presidential, one vice presidential), their dates, and […]

It depends on what the meaning of ‘waste’ is

The Washington Post’s final piece of its series of Bush’s regulatory changes is just as important as the previous items and really is a must-read. Today’s article highlights how much damage the administration can do just by changing a single word (and its meaning) in federal regulations. “Mountaintop removal” in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky […]

Who’s engaged in name calling?

Yesterday, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) went after Dick “Go F— Yourself” Cheney for his absurd “sensitivity” attack against Kerry last week. To hear Harkin tell it, the vice president was acting “cowardly.” He said of Cheney, “What he is doing and what he is saying is cowardly. The actions are cowardly. “When I hear this […]

Maybe if reporters were as fawning, Bush would talk to them more

The NYT’s Elisabeth Bumiller had an item the other day about the Bush campaign’s policy on only meeting adoring fans and answering questions exclusively from pre-arranged, fawning audiences. The item, however, had an interesting tidbit. As of this coming Wednesday in Wisconsin, Mr. Bush will have had 12 such campaign forums, which is one less […]

I guess the transition was tough on her, too

The Rep. Rodney “Turncoat” Alexander story continues to add delightful tidbits. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. As you’ll no doubt recall, Alexander’s entire Capitol Hill staff resigned en masse immediately after his under-handed, last-minute party switch. The funny part, however, is what happened when staffers went in to turn in their keys […]

Suppressing the vote in Florida

Just what Florida needs, another example to prove that it’s the place where democracy goes to die. Bob Herbert’s column is generating a lot of buzz today and with good cause. The New York Times columnist shared the kind of story that should infuriate anyone with a conscience. State police officers have gone into the […]

Bush doesn’t need Congress to push a radical agenda

A few weeks ago, Kevin Drum posed a discussion question to his readers, asking them which they’d prefer Dems win in November, the White House or control over Congress. The overwhelming majority wanted the presidency, usually to help re-establish a sensible foreign policy and/or appoint reasonable judges to the federal judiciary. One of the things […]

Log Cabin Republicans don’t realize what party they’re in

National Republican leaders have done their very best to avoid an intra-party confrontation over this year’s platform, particularly over the GOP’s favorite wedge issues — abortion and gay rights. As Bob Novak noted recently: The suspicion has grown that President Bush’s re-election strategists — Karl Rove and Karen Hughes — do not want the open […]

Rays of hope in the Sunshine State?

It’s a cliché because it’s true: the presidential election will probably come down to Florida. And for the time being, Florida is looking pretty good for John Kerry. The two big non-partisan polls in the state, conducted after the Dems’ convention, are showing Kerry’s lead in the ultimate swing state getting bigger. Quinnipiac says Kerry […]