For President Obama, the allegations that Secret Service agents cavorted with Colombian prostitutes is a nuisance. For assignment editors, it is a golden goose: a salacious scandal involving an elite, clandestine organization, …
Controversies
Ann Romney and Hilary Rosen Debate Motherhood: What American Women Really Think
It really is sad to see the challenge of modern motherhood reduced to a partisan battle over which political party cares more about women and the American family. Some of us might expect a little more from the campaigns of two …
Bobby Rush Wears A Hoodie on the House Floor
Who knew it is against U.S. House rules to wear a hood? Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois seemed to know what he was doing this morning when he donned one in an act of solidarity with killed Florida teen Trayvon Martin.
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Sandra Fluke on Her Role in the Contraception Controversy: ‘I Would Do This Again’
Last week Sandra Fluke became famous overnight. But the cascading sequence of events leading to Rush Limbaugh’s tirade against the 30-year-old Georgetown law student began two months ago. At a Republican presidential debate on …
Apology Not Accepted
Rush Limbaugh is having a bad day. His radio sponsors are jumping ship. Sandra Fluke refused to accept his apology. Republicans are finally piping up with more fulsome condemnations. Jim Poniewozik raises the most important question here: Has Limbaugh reached an Imus-like tipping point, where his power and audience will be severely curtailed?
Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Univision
Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, who wrote a column for TIME last week, interviewed controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio last weekend. Standing against the backdrop of Maricopa County’s infamous outdoor Tent City jail, Arpaio …
Rick Santorum Wants to Fight ‘The Dangers Of Contraception’
Candidates often say things when polling in the single digits that come back to haunt them when they start leading the polls. Last October, Rick Santorum gave an interview with an Evangelical blog called Caffeinated Thoughts, in …
Conflict Over Obama’s Contraception Rule Intensifies
The Administration’s decision to require Catholic charities and universities to provide free birth control through employee health coverage is several weeks old, but the maelstrom of dissent it’s created is widening. Republicans, who charge that the measure violates such organizations’ religious freedoms, have allied with Catholic groups …
Obama Administration’s Contraception Ruling Fits with Re-Election Needs
According to a memo published by the moderate think tank, Third Way, and highlighted by The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, the 2012 election will come down to a fight over truly independent voters who cast ballots for Obama in 2008. If Obama can hang on to these voters, he wins. If he cedes too many to Mitt Romney, he loses. Other factors …
The Komen Controversy: Planned Parenthood Claims a New Kind of Victory in the Culture War
When the history of Facebook-enabled activism is written, the backlash against the Susan G. Komen foundation’s decision to end grants to Planned Parenthood clinics will fall somewhere behind the Arab Spring and ahead of the …
With Gingrich on the Trail in Florida, Romney Surrogates Are Never Far Behind
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Newt Gingrich’s rallies have taken on certain characteristics as he crisscrosses Florida. There are the ubiquitous Reagan references. (Gingrich seems bent on drafting the ghost of the Gipper as his …
What You Missed While Not Watching the Last South Carolina GOP Debate
0 minutes. The CNN spaceship is set to launch, with blue gels on the lights that give the auditorium an alien aquarium vibe. It’s the 17th GOP debate of 2012 cycle. Roll the intro montage: “Welcome to the South, the heart of …
New Newtmentum: Gingrich Picks Up Speed, Scrutiny and Supporters in South Carolina
Walterboro, South Carolina
Newt Gingrich likes to boast that he does things differently than conventional politicians. Sometimes this is true. Hours after receiving Rick Perry’s endorsement, and amid new polls that show the …