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Category Archives: Columns
The Mount Rushmore Fight Club: A History of Hating Presidents, from Washington to Obama
Perspective is the thing we have least of in our politics. And as the USA celebrates Presidents’ Day, it is tempting to lament the lack of respect given to the Oval Office these days—especially its current occupant. Politics ain’t beanbag, … Continue reading
Posted in Featured Columns
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Obama’s Legacy on the Line – CNN
Christine Romans, Annie Lowrey and John Avlon discuss the obstacles President Obama must overcome to get the middle class back on track and make his mark in the history books.
Mark Sanford on Run for Congress, a Second Chance at Politics – The Daily Beast
It’s official: Mark Sanford is running for his old congressional seat in South Carolina. The former governor, who ended his second term in disgrace after admitting to an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman he described as his “soulmate,” had … Continue reading
The NRA’s Shameful Day: Shooting App for Kids, ‘Stand and Fight’ Ad – The Daily Beast
The National Rifle Association board might want to quiz its communications shop. With President Obama set to unveil his gun proposals on Wednesday, the NRA spent its Tuesday “no-commenting” on what was apparently a sponsored shooting app geared to 4-year-olds, … Continue reading
Jerry Brown Creates California Surplus Miracle, But Can It Last? – The Daily Beast
California has long been synonymous with budget deficits so deep that it looked like the Golden State would inevitably be our Greece—beautiful and bankrupt. But Governor Jerry Brown announced that his state has suddenly projected a surplus of $851 million. … Continue reading
Glenn Beck Attempts a Laughable Makeover as a Libertarian – The Daily Beast
Glenn Beck is rebranding himself as–get this–the alternative to “far-right, far-left” polarized debates on cable news, dominated by people “yelling at each other.” “We’re not going to play in that crazy space as a network,” he announced earnestly. The irony … Continue reading
George Washington’s ‘Warning From a Parting Friend’
Washington’s farewell address inspired presidents from Ike to Obama. Read the introduction to Daily Beast Editor in Chief John Avlon’s new book. This is the story of the most famous American speech you’ve never read. Once celebrated as civic scripture, … Continue reading
Conspiracy Peddler Alex Jones Melts Down – The Daily Beast
Most Americans got their first taste of Alex Jones’s brand of crazy last night on Piers Morgan Tonight, when the CNN host confronted this particular critic, who in turn called the CNN host “a hatchet man of the new world … Continue reading
Richard Ben Cramer Dies – The Daily Beast
News that Richard Ben Cramer died swept through the Twitterverse on Monday night, even before a hint of his passing hit major news outlets. It was oddly appropriate, because the cult of Richard Ben Cramer was always first a word-of-mouth … Continue reading
Callous Conservatives: Gulf State Republicans’ Sandy Shame – The Daily Beast
Slap a scarlet “S” on these callous conservatives. Sixty-seven members of Congress–all Republicans—voted against even $9 billion of Hurricane Sandy relief yesterday. Remember their names, and hold them accountable. Twelve of the scarlet 67 voted for Hurricane Katrina relief—which passed … Continue reading
Chris Christie Drops Bomb on GOP Leaders – CNN.com
It’s why the American people hate Congress. Unlike the people in Congress, we have actual responsibilities.” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped a bomb on Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Congress for refusing to allow a vote on Hurricane … Continue reading
House Republicans Cave to Sandy Aid Pressure – The Daily Beast
It was a congressional slap in the face to victims of Hurricane Sandy. More than two months after hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the tristate area were destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Republicans in the House … Continue reading
Congress’s Fiscal-Cliff Chaos: House Passes Last-Minute Deal – The Daily Beast
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else,” Winston Churchill once said. But even by that standard, the scramble to avoid the entirely predictable fiscal cliff at the last possible minute was an … Continue reading
What News Needs to Do Now
Trump has changed the rules of the game and journalists can’t expect things will return to normal after the election. That’s why news needs to do two things now more than ever: call bullshit and make important stories interesting. When … Continue reading
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Picks for 12 Best Opinion Columns of 2012 – The Daily Beast
It can be hard to appreciate the present, because we have no perspective on it. But year-end “best of” lists help create a sense our times, even if it requires some instant nostalgia. And because I’ve always enjoyed annual lists … Continue reading
Our Pathetic Congress – The Daily Beast
Welcome back to Washington, House of Representatives. Hope you all had a great vacation. While you were out, your inaction caused markets to tumble, and now America is just hours away from collectively being pushed off the fiscal cliff. Your … Continue reading
“Palin Vs. Bachmann” – CBS Early Show
The Daily Beast’s John Avlon and Republican strategist Margaret Hoover speak to Chris Wragge about the race for 2012, including Michelle Bachmann’s candidacy and Sarah Palin’s movie debut of “The Undefeated.”
A Brief History of Wingnuts in America; From George Washington to Woodstock – The Daily Beast
In this exclusive excerpt from the new edition of ‘Wingnuts,’ author John Avlon reminds us that paranoid extremism is nothing new in American politics. If you’re disgusted by the unhinged hyper-partisanship that distorts our political debates beyond reason, here’s some … Continue reading
Hell Week in Boston Shows How 9/11 Taught Resilience – The Telegraph
Monday’s bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day propelled America back to a 9/11 mindset. Tuesday through Thursday were pre-occupied with grief, manhunts and memorial services. Poisonous envelopes mailed to the president and two US … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2008 Elections, National Security, New York, The Resilient City, The Telegraph
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Chuck Hagel Deserves Fair Hearing for Defense-Secretary Post – The Daily Beast
The preemptive strike on Sen. Chuck Hagel’s possible nomination to be secretary of defense has been relentless this holiday season. It is trial by Twitter, character assassination by media narrative, a steady drumbeat of accusations and innuendo all designed to … Continue reading