George W. Bush is gone from Washington — and sometimes the city seems to have forgotten him. For all the passions that he inspired, the 43rd President’s legacy has been absent from the 2012 campaign. Mitt Romney’s dog and …
2012 Election
As Economic Concerns Mount, President Obama Says, ‘The Private Sector Is Doing Fine’
UPDATED
President Obama attempted Friday to improve his chops as an international leader working hard to protect American workers and save Europe from its political dysfunction. But his morning appearance in the White House briefing room is likely to be remembered, instead, for a single sound bite he surely wishes he could take back: …
It’s That Time Again When a Candidate Films Himself Shooting Stuff
Ron Gould, who’s running for Congress in Arizona’s 4th, joins the proud tradition of aspiring public officials who demonstrate their love of democracy by blasting things to smithereens:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/NLAirystfdY]
Voters Are Shortsighted About the Economy (But Not THAT Shortsighted)
A few minutes before 8:30 a.m. on the first Friday of every month, political reporters, Wall Street types and economists go to the website of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and furiously hit the refresh button. Like teen …
What Will Justice Kennedy Do?
For decades the country’s top lawyers have tried to come up with a unifying theory for Justice Anthony Kennedy’s jurisprudence in hopes of winning over the closely divided Supreme Court’s key swing vote. Sometimes siding with …
The Need For Tax Reform Illustrated
David Kay Johnston has a great piece out today from Reuters that takes a close look at the taxes paid by the 400 highest income earning families in the U.S., a group that averaged about $200 million in income. The findings show just how inconsequential the nation’s progressive income taxation brackets can be for the very wealthy. For …
Gentlemen M.I.A.: What the Loss of Campaign Decorum Means for America
Gentlemen, it seems, need no longer apply for President of the United States. The Obama and Romney campaigns no longer pretend that 2012 election will be a respectful, dignified ordeal. There will be little dialog. It won’t be …
Uncompromised: Why Scott Walker Survived His Recall
Scott Walker’s triumph in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, beating out Democratic challenger Tom Barrett 53%–46%, will have cascading consequences, as the second most important election of 2012 should. The victory brings validation …
Mitt’s Catch-22: Be Scripted and Fake or Natural and ‘Weird’?
Politico has an interesting story today about the pitfalls for Mitt Romney as a candidate in the months ahead. Chief among them is Romney himself, a man whom even his admirers would not call a naturally gifted politician. The eternal question for the non-gifted pol is what to do about it: stick relentlessly to a script and some across …
How Polarization Explains Republicans’ and Democrats’ Governing Priorities
The headline on Pew’s new 25th anniversary American Values survey is probably not surprising to anyone attuned to Washington’s frequency the past few years: political polarization has risen sharply, not just in Congress but …
Let Us Now Praise Ed Gillespie, Super Surrogate
UPDATED with a response from Ed Gillespie
There needs to be an Academy Awards for Televised Political News, a Golden Babbler Bobble-Head statuette that could be awarded on a special joint airing of Morning Joe, Meet the Press …
After a Hard Month for Warren, Massachusetts Democrats Crown Their Nominee
Elizabeth Warren won her party’s Senate nomination on Saturday with the backing of 96% of Democratic delegates at the state convention. Candidates need to get at least 15% of the convention vote to be eligible for a fall …
Dire Jobs Report Throws Washington into the Pressure Cooker
It’s bad, man. The May unemployment report released Friday morning didn’t just announce one month of lethargic job growth — 69,000 added, fewer than necessary to even keep up with population growth. The government’s regular …