In the ArenaUncategorized
Former Bush speechwriter Mike Gerson does a fairly remarkable thing in this WaPo column, attempting to conflate Clintonism and Bushism. The basic problem with this analysis is that Bill Clinton was a moderate and George W. Bush is not. Oh, Bush talked–a bit–about compassion and faith-based social programs, but David Kuo pretty much …
The right Democratic Presidential candidate can cut into the huge Republican margins in rural America, but that candidate must understand that the mother lode is just one shovel away. That one shovel to the mother lode is economic populism.
A recent Pew Research poll had 73% of the respondents saying. “Today, it’s really true that …
Lots of interesting tidbits out there about the value of creating your own “media environment” today. The Politico’s Ben Smith profiles “HillaryHub.com” and puts it in the context of campaigns communicating directly with supporters with highly tailored messages:
Political campaigns are learning from corporate America and big-time
…
In the ArenaUncategorized
I’ve got a big piece in the magazine this week. The basic idea is that 2008 is too important an election to allow the presidential candidates to just slide by on the same old rhetorical dodges, that we should judge them on their ability to be courageous on some crucial issues.
Then I lay out the issues that I consider most important, …
Reggie Walton has ruled as expected: Scooter’s going to the slammer while the appeals process plays out.
Sure, as Joe wrote the other day, this is gratifying in a vindictive way, but it’s also, uhm, whatchyoucallit… justice! I’m all for Libby paying a “personal price” for being an architect of the war, but I also think that’s not …
Over at his blog Newpairodimes, frequent Swampland commenter Trifecta notes that Ann Coulter has found a new target: George W. Bush.
So how much does Stephen Spielberg’s support of Hillary really mean? I asked a few of the many DC refugees who now toil in La-La-Land. Their take: Not as much as you’d think. Money-wise, Spielberg isn’t much of a rainmaker; it’s not like he’ll be calling up Tom Hanks and the rest of his pals and shaking the trees for HRC. In that regard, …
Sick of Washington’s inability to get anything done? So are a lot of governors and mayors across the country. Two of the them in particular, New York’s mayor and California’s governor, are doing big things on big issues that Washington can’t seem to tackle. Bloomberg and Schwarzenegger are the cover subjects of the new issue of the print …
When you embark on any dialogue concerning God and politics, you can be certain of raising the ire of the most religious. I came to the decision to write a disclaimer at the beginning of this post not because I’m worried about “raising the ire of the most religious”, but instead for more selfish reasons. I am fully aware when I …
If you’re curious about what might happen once Romney is no longer advertising in a vacuum, the McCain campaign provides a web-only preview:
I’ve been hearing for awhile that the ads other campaigns are the most eager to put out consist entirely of Mitt, and this is a fine example:
You know, I have said all I need to say on that I
…
In the ArenaUncategorized
Robert Bauer makes an interesting–if unconvincing–case for pardoning Scooter Libby over at Huffington.
As I’ve been saying, I’m against a pardon for purely selfish reasons: If Bush doesn’t pardon him, Scooter may get pissed off enough to write a tell-all memoir or drop a dime on this awful bunch.
My differences with the lockstep left …
As reported in the NYT this morning, Romney is spending a boatload of money running television ads in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and on national cable. No other candidate is on the air. Romney’s aides say the ad buys are the reason Romney has leapfrogged over McCain and Giuliani in (some) Iowa and New Hampshire polling. They may …
In the ArenaUncategorized
A second bombing of the al-Askariyah mosque in Samarrah, despite the presence of Iraqi Security Forces. AP is reporting some interesting details, if true:
State television said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki quickly imposed an indefinite curfew on vehicle traffic and large gatherings in Baghdad as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Just before the
…
