The most important part of the new Rolling Stone interview with Barack Obama is probably what the president forgot to say. At the end of the talk with Jann Wenner and Eric Bates, after some chit chat about iPods, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, the president got up and left the Oval Office. But then he [...]
Let’s get something out of the way. The accusation that the Affordable Care Act will determine which medical treatments, procedures, tests and drugs Americans will be allowed to get is false. Rather, the government will continue to decide which services Medicare will reimburse for, while also deciding what care private insurers will be required to [...]
Yuba City, California Traveling Companion: Dalia Mogahed Event: Meeting with Yuba City Democrats It is now official. The very best thing about this trip has been the meetings that you, dear readers, have arranged for me with your friends, neighbors and co-workers. The final one took place last night, arranged by Bill Chavez–a retired accountant. [...]
–President Obama has a long chat with Rolling Stone. –Vice President Biden doesn’t mince words with the base. –CNN reports Rahm Emanuel will pack his bags Friday and Pete Rouse will likely serve as interim chief of staff. –Republican independent expenditure groups out gun Democratic ones. –Linda McMahon inches closer in Connecticut’s Senate race. –The National Republican Senatorial Committee pares back operations [...]
CQ reports a deal, months in the making, between Pelosi and the White House on tougher Congressional oversight of covert intelligence programs. Pelosi had taken a surprisingly hard line over the summer, bucking an Obama veto threat to insist on a pair of new watchdog measures: first, that the GAO be given the power to [...]
Three reasons why the ACLU must be wondering what the point of changing presidents in January 2009 was: 1. “U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet” 2. “Money Transfers Could Face Anti-Terrorism Scrutiny” 3. “Critics Balk at Obama’s Justification for Killing American Terrorist” My hunch is that Obama could make an excellent [...]
As part of our Races to Watch series, I recently summed up the campaign for North Dakota’s lone congressional seat. The race has incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy trying to beat back a challenge from Republican Rick Berg. The race is close and reflects the anti-incumbency mood percolating across the country. As a result, the Pomeroy [...]
And you thought Koran burning was a problem: In a video tape obtained by ABC News, a 22-year-old Army corporal from Joint Base Lewis-McChord casually describes to military investigators how his unit’s “crazy” sergeant randomly chose three unarmed, innocent victims to be murdered in Afghanistan. Corporal Jeremy N. Morlock is among five Lewis-McChord Stryker soldiers [...]
Sebastopol, California Traveling companions: none Event: dinner at the Iron Horse vineyard First, I’m an idiot. I can not walk and chew gum at the same time. With still photographer Peter Van Agtmael having departed–for Iran!–I have been tasked with taking photos of the trip with my iPhone. I keep forgetting. This was especially tragic [...]
Fun WaPo story on the strange and frustrating lives of professional North Korea-watchers: Sometimes, careers are built around incorrect predictions. Seoul-based historian Andrei Lankov spent the early 1990s anticipating something that hasn’t happened. In his 30s at the time – “just a beginner,” Lankov recalled – he felt certain that North Korea would collapse after [...]
