John McCain has said, repeatedly and on the record, that he would never consider raising payroll taxes as part of a Social Security reform effort. Asked in March if there are “any circumstances” in which he would consider this, even as part of negotiations with congressional Democrats, McCain said, “No. None. None.” Got it. Clear […]
When it comes to identifying loaded campaign rhetoric, David Gergen probably isn’t the first media figure that comes to mind. He’s a Republican, and has been a member in a good standing of the DC political establishment for quite a while. And yet, when he sees Republican “code”-attacks, Gergen isn’t afraid to call them out, […]
Last night went well, so let’s do this again. What’s on your mind? Got any links you want to share? Stories that need a plug? Requests to make? The floor is yours….
As part of the instantly mind-numbing “celebrity” attack, John McCain’s ostensible campaign manager Rick Davis said, “Only celebrities like Barack Obama go to the gym three times a day, demand ‘MET-RX chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea’ and worry about the price of arugula.” […]
The other day, Barack Obama mentioned to voters in Missouri that there are things individuals can do to help conserve energy, including bringing their cars in for regular tune ups, and keeping their tires properly inflated. It seemed like a rather unremarkable thing to say. But at this point, Republicans can’t seem to stop commenting […]
In June, the McCain and Obama campaigns considered some proposals for expanding the presidential debates beyond the three approved and organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Obama’s team proposed that both sides agree to the CPD events, plus a debate focused exclusively on foreign policy, plus a town-hall debate, for a total of […]
It’s easy to understand why John McCain is embarrassed by his record on civil rights, but the smart thing to do would be to explain why he’s had a sincere change of heart. McCain, for reasons that I can’t understand, has decided to pursue a far less honest path. Consider this exchange from a press […]
I’ve been trying to get a better sense of why John McCain’s relentless attacks irk me so much. It’s not that I expected McCain to run a substantive campaign, and it’s not that I expected McCain to be an honorable candidate. Mark Kleiman wrote something the other day that rings true for me, and touches […]
Two weeks ago, before Barack Obama had even left for his visits to the Middle East and Europe, John McCain had shifted his travel-agent-like attacks. While McCain initially bashed Obama for not having spent enough time in Iraq, by mid-July, McCain was bashing Obama for not having spent time in Latin America. In a speech […]
The WaPo reports in a front-page piece today that the FBI investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks, which killed five people, may be officially closed tomorrow, sending a “strong signal that the FBI and Justice Department think they got their man — and that he is dead, foreclosing the possibility of a prosecution.” In other […]