Guest Post by Morbo The evangelical men’s group Promise Keepers was a big deal in the 1990s. Tens of thousands of men regularly gathered in football stadiums for rallies. In 1997, the group held a meeting on the National Mall called “Stand in the Gap.” It’s estimated that one million men attended. What is Promise […]
Dr. Laura’s Family Values
Guest Post by Morbo Right-wing talk radio gasbag Dr. Laura Schlessinger apparently didn’t do a very good job raising her son. Deryk Schlessinger, 21, is in the Army serving in Iraq; officials are investigating his Myspace page, which was full of “cartoon images of rape, murder, torture, child molestation, and more.” (Warning! This link contains […]
It’s reasonable to assume Gore is not running
Guest Post by Morbo I’m no fan of Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, an alleged progressive who normally offers pretty weak tea, but I do think his column this week on Al Gore is on the money: Gore has no intention of running for president. Dionne interviewed Gore and wrote: It’s entertaining to talk to […]
Friday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * In a beautiful instance of irony, a bipartisan bill expanding the Freedom of Information Act was cruising towards passing the Senate easily — right up until a GOP senator placed an anonymous hold on the legislation. “Some Republican senator called the Minority Leader’s office and objected to a vote […]
Doing the right thing on lobbying reform
A couple of weeks ago, I urged congressional Dems to get their act together and pursue a meaningful lobbying reform measure. At the time, there were rumors that lawmakers, after campaigning specifically on helping clean up the system, were balking on a legislative remedy. As it turns out, the rumors appear to have been overstated. […]
War in Iraq vs. Anna Nicole Smith
There’s ample evidence that Fox News viewers tend to be surprisingly uninformed about current events. We’re starting to get a better sense as to why that is. What’s more important: Iraq or Anna Nicole Smith? Depends on which network you’re watching. According to PEJ’s first quarter News Coverage Index, “MSNBC and CNN were much more […]
‘We’re on the ragged edge’
A couple of weeks ago, after tornados razed most of Greensburg, Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) had the temerity to note that much of the state’s National Guard equipment is being used in Iraq, which in turn hampered the recovery effort. The White House hit back, rejecting the premise and blaming Sebelius. Who was right? […]
Anti-Clinton books are on the way
As if there haven’t been enough anti-Clinton books, we have two more on the way. Two new books on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York offer fresh and often critical portraits of the Democratic presidential candidate that depict a tortured relationship with her husband and her past and challenge the image she has presented […]
Bush’s new ‘charm offensive’
In 2000, Bush was going to be a “uniter,” not a divider. He was going to “change the tone” in DC, work with Democrats, and deliver the kind of above-the-fray presidency everyone’s always wanted. That … didn’t quite happen. Shortly after Bush came in second but became president anyway, Matthew Dowd started analyzing election data […]
The right’s selective outrage
To their credit, Sens. Clinton and Obama had the courage to vote the right way on the war-funding bill, rejecting a bad bill that gives the president practically all of what he wanted, with minimal strings attached. The right, predictably, is apoplectic. * Don Surber: “Clinton and Obama were among the 14 no votes. Clinton […]