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Category Archives: Columns
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
Goodbye, Postal Service? – CNN.com
It’s the time of year for dashing through the snow to the crowded post office, with arms full of holiday gifts for family and friends. Not to break the atmosphere of holiday cheer, but this Christmas could be the last … Continue reading
Favorite Books of 2012 – The Daily Beast
The Passage of Power by Robert Caro—Sometimes reality exceeds the hype. Robert Caro’s magisterial portrait of Lyndon Johnson hit new heights as this fourth volume chronicled his rise from a much-disrespected VP to a president capable of greatness and uniting … Continue reading
Connecticut School Shooting: Standing Up to the Gun Lobby is the Best Way to Honour the Innocent Victims – The Telegraph
America’s deadliest school shooting occurred one day before the 221st anniversary of the adoption of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. Our gun laws might look strange across the Atlantic, where … Continue reading
As Plan B Fails, GOP Imperils Fiscal Cliff Deal, Boehner’s Speakership – The Daily Beast
Extremes are always their own side’s worst enemy. Speaker John Boehner’s failure to cobble together enough conservative votes to pass his Plan B is not just bad news for Boehner. It is bad news for the Republican Party and the … Continue reading
Don’t Let This Moment Pass Without Acting on Gun Control – CNN.com
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to make us confront reality. In the wake of the slaughter of first graders in Newtown, Connecticut, there are signs that the country — and Congress — are ready to confront the cancer of gun … Continue reading
Right Wing Needs to Stop Crazy Explanations for Newtown Slaughter – The Daily Beast
It’s definitely not too soon to condemn this craziness. The visceral shock of the Newtown school slaughter has provoked a reassessment on gun laws among many on the right—including Joe Scarborough and Rupert Murdoch. But there are still those on … Continue reading
Most Innovative Mayors in the U.S. – The Daily Beast
While Washington seems paralyzed by partisan bickering, America’s mayors are busy putting ideas into action. City hall is increasingly a place for bold experimentation. Unlike Congress, there’s no fiddling over the fiscal cliff or divisions into angry, ideological, debating societies. … Continue reading
Newtown Shooting: Now Is the Time for Gun Law Debate in America – The Telegraph
Newtown, Connecticut, is where families move to keep their children safe. Only an hour from New York City, the town was founded well before the Revolutionary War. It’s where Scrabble was invented, a stop on the Underground Railroad, home to … Continue reading
One Tough Nerd—Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Pragmatic Labor Stance – The Daily Beast
So this is what he meant by “One Tough Nerd.” Michigan’s Republican governor, Rick Snyder, has become public enemy No. 1 among liberals for his controversial decision this week to sign right-to-work legislation in Michigan—the birthplace of the American organized … Continue reading
Why Tim Scott Should Replace Jim DeMint – The Daily Beast
Apart from Stephen Colbert, the best pick South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley could make for Jim DeMint’s Senate seat is Congressman Tim Scott. Happily, Scott is also reportedly DeMint’s first choice, though the current senator has nothing more than advisory … Continue reading
Senate Vote on UN Disability Convention Shows Pitiful State of US politics – The Telegraph
“It needs to be a wake-up call about a broken institution that’s letting down the American people.” So said John Kerry in a fit of frustration after the Senate voted against ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of … Continue reading