Michael Scherer and I have a story in this week’s dead tree edition peeking inside President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner’s grand bargain talks. They may have failed, but both men should be recognized for striving to do big things in an atmosphere where the lowest common denominator is often the most celebrated. My favorite detail: Both times they got together one-on-one at the White House, they were outside. Though neither side would admit it, I suspect it was so someone (or someones) could smoke.
Obama and Boehner, the Secret Talks
-
Latest on Swampland
Obama’s Persuasive Powers on Gay Marriage Manifest in Maryland
When President Obama endorsed gay marriage earlier this month, the media grappled with two basic political questions: Was his personal “evolution” a case of a politician transparently following a national trend toward accepting same-sex unions (accelerated, perhaps, by his chatty No. 2), and would it hurt his re-election chances by alienating socially conservative voters like black churchgoers? Sure, there was a recognition that it marked a gratifying moment for gay-marriage advocates — as well as some grumbling about the President’s view that it remains a state issue, not a federal one. But by and large, there were few suggestions that one man, even the President, would shift public opinion on the issue or affect public policy. Based on a new Public Policy Polling survey out of Maryland, it seems this possibility was underestimated.
From our PartnersLewis Eisenberg, Major Romney Donor, Accuses Obama Of Demonizing Wall StreetHuffPost Politics
- Twice-Told TalesSlate
- Mitt Romney's $11.7 Million Raised In April Isn't The Whole PictureHuffPost Politics
Cherokee Zero
Apparently, Massachusetts voters don’t mind that Elizabeth Warren foolishly identified herself as a Native American early in her academic career–it was, apparently, a case of family pride and wishful thinking about a Cherokee ancestor. That’s good. Warren may be the best public figure when it comes to explaining the depredations of the financial industry and [...]
