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Category Archives: Columns
Top 5 Misconceptions About the Tea Party Movement
One year ago, the first Tea Party protest hadn’t even been held yet and the phrase remained safely ensconced in American history textbooks. This weekend, the first national Tea Party Convention will be held in Nashville, and the fractious movement … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2010 Elections, Elections, Independent Voters, The Daily Beast
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10 Congressmen Who Should Be Fired
With less than 100 days left to the midterm elections, it’s clear that anti-incumbent anger is going to be a bad wind blowing through Nov. 2. But not all incumbents are created equally weasel-y, and the best way to judge … Continue reading
A Rediscovery of Themes – The Daily Beast
In his confident, sprawling State of the Union speech, the president refocused on issues from the ’08 campaign—highlighting a return to fiscal responsibility and offering policy outreaches to both left and right. It was a Clintonian speech—and I mean that … Continue reading
TSUNAMI OF SLEAZE – New York Post
NEW York, New Jersey and Connecticut: We have a problem. And it’s not just the fiscal crisis. It’s the bipartisan culture of corruption that has swamped tri-state politics. Longtime NY state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno’s indictment last Friday on … Continue reading
New Wingnut Target: ‘RINO’ Scott Brown – The Daily Beast
From savior to heretic in one week—well, that was fast. Some conservative activists are already taking aim at Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown by calling him a RINO, or Republican in Name Only. With Martha Coakley out of the way, they’ve … Continue reading
Red Vs. Blue Is Over – The Daily Beast
Obama should use the State of the Union address next week to declare an end to playing-to-the-base politics. As Massachusetts’ Senate race shows, voters don’t want more ideology—they want problem-solving. Avlon is the author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe … Continue reading
Rush and Robertson: Shameless Haiti Wingnuts – The Daily Beast
Tragedies like the earthquake unite most of us—except the Wingnut fringe, who can’t understand the suffering of those outside their tribe. That’s why Limbaugh and Robertson put such a nasty spin on the devastation, says John Avlon. With the horror … Continue reading
How Wingnuts Hijacked Obama’s First Year – The Daily Beast
Twelve months ago to the day, Barack Obama looked out over a National Mall that represented a 70 percent overall approval rating, and support from most political factions. How both political extremes dashed that promise of hope. One year ago, … Continue reading
A Reminder from History: Politics Can Lift You Up – CNN.com
Politics is history in the present tense. And this week has been crowded with historic anniversaries that should adjust our expectations upward when it comes to the dark carnival of contemporary politics. This week we marked both the 50th anniversary … Continue reading
Swing Voters Will Decide Kennedy Seat – CNN.com
On Tuesday, the eyes of the political world will be turned to Massachusetts where an unexpectedly close special election is being held to determine who will succeed Ted Kennedy in the Senate. Conventional wisdom labels Massachusetts a liberal bastion, but … Continue reading
WFP on trial – New York Post
‘Enough already,” Jus tice Anthony Giacobbe sternly said yesterday at the Richmond County Supreme Court on Staten Island. He was admonishing attorneys representing the Working Families Party and its for-profit corporate arm, Data Field Services, for suddenly disclosing hundreds of … Continue reading
The Growing Cyberthreat – Forbes.com
First your cellphone doesn’t work. Then you notice that you can’t access the Internet. Down on the street, ATMs won’t dispense money. Traffic lights don’t function, and calls to 911 don’t get routed to emergency responders. Radios report that systems … Continue reading
The Gonzo Life of Mayor McCrack – The Daily Beast
Gather round, children, and you will hear the strange true tale of Mayor McCrack. Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford seemed simply obese, unwise, and shady until earlier this week, when he confessed to smoking crack cocaine in what he casually described … Continue reading
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9/11 Amnesia – The Daily Beast
As we approach tomorrow’s eighth anniversary of the September 11th attacks—the first since President George W. Bush left office—there’s been a creeping complacency to the remembrance, a feeling of obligation bordering on inconvenience. It’s as if America wants to turn … Continue reading
Obama Losing Independent Voters – CNN.com
NEW YORK (CNN) — Over the course of this summer, President Obama’s approval ratings have plummeted among independent voters — the largest and fastest-growing segment of the American electorate. In May, 66 percent of independents approved of Obama’s job performance, … Continue reading
New York & California Need Constitutional Conventions – Wall Street Journal
Frustrated with steep budget deficits, unprecedented spending, and chronic government dysfunction, citizens in a growing number of states are calling for constitutional conventions. In recent weeks, both former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former New York governor Mario … Continue reading
Independents and the Obama Mandate – Wall Street Journal
In the months since Barack Obama won the presidency, independent voters have rocketed to their highest number on record. Meanwhile, the ranks of Republicans and Democrats have thinned dramatically. Independents hold the balance of power in the Obama era. That’s … Continue reading
Hollywood’s Dirty Secret – The Daily Beast
Conservatives love to complain about Hollywood liberals hijacking our culture and our politics. With the likely seating of SNL-alum Al Franken in the Senate and the possible candidacy of actor Val Kilmer for New Mexico governor, you can expect such … Continue reading
Worse Than the War
It’s time for a reality check. More Americans have been murdered in mass shootings over the last month than have been killed on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan this year. Here are the grisly statistics: 54 innocents dead in … Continue reading
How the Party of Lincoln Forgot About Lincoln – The Daily Beast
Today is the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and rarely has Honest Abe been in such demand. Our nation’s first African-American president—also a self-made lawyer from Illinois—rarely loses an opportunity to compare himself to the Great Emancipator. There are new … Continue reading