When President Obama went on late-night TV this week to “slow jam” his stump speech on student loans with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, he pulled off a rare feat. For a second, he made Stafford-loan interest rates cool. The …
Mitt Romney
When Everyone’s an Expert: How Romney Might Deal with the Flood of Campaign Advice
Romney’s Radical Position on Afghanistan
In its story today about Mitt Romney’s rather opaque views about Afghanistan, the New York Times mentions, almost in passing, something important that has drawn strangely little attention: Romney opposes talking to the …
Is Mitt Romney Really More Charitable Than Barack Obama?
When Joe Biden went to New Hampshire on Thursday to attack Mitt Romney’s tax proposals, the Romney campaign greeted Biden by attacking President Barack Obama’s charitable giving rate. On a campaign conference call with …
The Story Behind Lawrence O’Donnell’s Apology to Mormons
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell apologized Wednesday night for inaccurate comments he made a week earlier about the origins of the Mormon church. “I am truly sorry if I said something inaccurate about Joseph Smith, and I am …
Latest Column
My print column this week is about the wounds Mitt Romney has suffered in the course of winning the Republican nomination and guess what? You don’t have to be a TIME subscriber to read it anymore. But there’s all sorts of good stuff in the magazine that remains behind the paywall. Those who want to be particularly well-informed will …
When Mitt Romney Talked About White Collar Crooks and ‘Crazy’ Tax Cuts
As the New York Times notes today, Mitt Romney’s views about gas prices have conveniently shifted in recent months. They’ve also shifted since he was governor of Masssachusetts. With gas prices spiking back in 2005, Romney was eager to show his outrage on behalf of Bay State drivers–and named corporate America as a prime culprit. In …
Romney on Immigration: Etching a New Sketch
According to The Note, here’s what Mitt Romney had to say about immigration on Monday:
“This has always been a priority for the president he chooses to do nothing about,” Romney said. “Let the immigrant community not forget that while he uses this as a political weapon, he has not taken responsibility for fixing the problems we …
Romney Plans to Attack Obama on Foreign Policy. It Won’t Be Easy
This Washington Post story on Mitt Romney’s plans to run hard against Barack Obama on foreign policy doesn’t persuade me that Romney has any especially clever new ideas on that front.
Mitt’s Mission in France: Then, as Now, Romney Worked Methodically to Convert Skeptics
Paris
As the Republican primaries drag on, some of Mitt Romney’s old friends are harking back to a time when, decades ago, the former governor honed his skills at winning over skeptics. That time was 1968, and the place, …
Romney Hits Obama on Russia, But Misses a Chance to Go Nuclear
Mitt Romney continues his derision of Russia today with an op-ed today bashing Dmitry Medvedev–while also, naturally, accusing Barack Obama of going soft on our rivals. (“[A] sad replay of Jimmy Carter’s bungling at a moment when the United States needs the backbone and courage of a Ronald Reagan,” Romney writes.) Romney lists several …
The Bush That Hasn’t Barked for Romney
Today’s big campaign news is the endorsement of Mitt Romney by George H.W. Bush. This comes just days after Jeb Bush came out for Romney, and a few weeks after Barbara Bush recorded robocalls on his behalf. We’ve heard barely a peep, however, from the Bush who recently finished two terms as President. And it’s now three weeks past the …
Mitt Romney Can Be Funny, It Is Claimed
One of the first things people who know Mitt Romney tell reporters is how delightfully personable and funny he is. This is spin, of course, but it also appears to be an actual surprising secret his intimates want out. Romney is one of those guys who generally has a tough time being personable with strangers, and on the campaign he has …
