Until yesterday, my favorite symbolic moment of the Obama era was the rejoicing of the right after the President’s hometown failed to land the 2016 Olympics. Because any bad news for Obama is by definition good for America, even if it happens to involve bad news for America. But now I have a new favorite: [...]
When it comes to health care, conservative state legislatures seem to be happily on a collision course with the Obama Administration. Passing statutes that defy federal law and exempting themselves from the new health reform overhaul, these states are begging for a fight. They will get one eventually – in most cases, in the form [...]
Nobel-winning economist Peter Diamond has withdrawn as a Federal Reserve Board of Governors nominee after more than a year in confirmation limbo. Republican Senator Richard Shelby was the primary obstructor, but the White House has appeared sluggish, if not downright apathetic, about getting appointments like Diamond’s through. As the economy founders and fiscal stimulus remains [...]
The grim news last week was not new: The American economy is stuck in a rut, with the manufacturing sector sputtering, housing prices falling and job growth too small to keep up with the growing population. We have been reading headlines like this, off and on, since 2007. What has changed, however, is the political [...]
Given the lingering hangover effects of Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrogant visit upon his American supporters–bitterness (toward Obama), smugness, delusion–the recent testimony of just-retired Mossad Chief Meir Dagan has provided a needed corrective. Like most recent Mossad chiefs, Dagan is a realist. He sees the big, long-term picture. And he excoriates both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud [...]
Lawrence Eagleburger, the only career foreign service officer ever to be named Secretary of State, died Saturday at his home in Charlottesville, VA.
I agree with Grunwald (although that’s very hard to do because he argues with you even when you agree with him). It’s annoying as hell that the Republicans are able to make political hay out of the deficit issue less than three years after the fiscally profligate Bush era came to an end. But why [...]
I am fairly certain that when Paul Ryan first decided to publicly share his admiration of Ayn Rand, he could not have imagined it would lead to him speed-walking to his SUV to avoid a young Catholic trying to give him a Bible and telling him to pay more attention to the Gospel of Luke. [...]
Maybe Von Drehle is right. Maybe it’s silly to be irked that Republicans—after putting trillions of dollars in tax cuts, two wars, a prescription drug benefit and an unprecedented earmark spree on the Visa card—are threatening to force the U.S. into default if President Obama doesn’t adopt their agenda. After all, that hypocrite Obama once [...]
Mitt Romney isn’t the only Mormon candidate making his case to evangelicals at the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Jon Huntsman delivered a deft speech Friday morning, one that provided a peek at the pitch he’ll be making to social conservatives as he continues to explore a possible presidential bid.
